Divorce or Legal Separation

Navigating divorce or legal separation

Divorce can be a stressful process, and even in straightforward cases, there are often complex issues to address. We're here to support you through this new chapter in your life, and will walk you through the necessary steps you'll need to take to update your benefits as a result of this change.

Divorce is a qualifying life change event, meaning you can make certain updates to your benefits outside of the normal open enrollment period.

To help you navigate the necessary changes to your benefit plans, we’ve provided a checklist of actions you can take—and in some cases, must take—following a divorce or annulment.

How to make your changes

You must make these changes within 30 days of the event by submitting a life event change request online through the Employee Center. Benefit changes will be effective as of the date of divorce.

You will also be required to provide a copy of the divorce decree or legal separation document with names, date, and judge’s stamp or signature.

Go to Employee Center

Benefits to update following a divorce

  • You must remove your former spouse and/or stepchildren from your IU plan.
  • If covered under the spouse’s plan, enroll yourself and children in the IU plan.

  • You must remove your former spouse and/or stepchildren from your plan for critical illness insurance.

  • For supplemental accidental death & dismemberment (AD&D) insurance, you can take the following optional actions:
    • Add or drop coverage.
    • Increase or decrease the coverage level.

  • Optional actions (consistent with the qualifying event):
    • Enroll in a healthcare and/or dependent care spending account (if coverage was lost under your ex-spouse’s plan).
    • Increase or decrease your healthcare and/or dependent care spending account election (if already enrolled).

  • If enrolling in a high deductible health plan (HDHP):
    • Eligible to enroll in a health savings account (HSA).
    • Change your contribution amount at any time by completing an HSA Enrollment/Change form.
    • Ensure contributions don’t exceed IRS annual limits.
    • If excessive contributions due to removal of spouse or dependent(s), work with WEX to resolve.

Note: If enrolling in the HSA or changing HDHP coverage level on or after October 1, IU’s contribution to the HSA will not be made for the rest of the year.

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