Divorce paperwork often feels like the finish line, but certain financial details quietly keep running in the background. One of the most overlooked pieces is beneficiary designations on life insurance policies, retirement accounts, and other workplace benefits. Many people assume divorce automatically wipes an ex-spouse off those documents, but reality does not always follow that expectation.
A landmark Supreme Court case, Egelhoff v. Egelhoff, showed how quickly assumptions can collide with legal rules and real financial outcomes. The result can surprise families when assets go exactly where no one expects. That gap between assumption and paperwork creates a risk that still matters in 2026.
