**This was originally written as an article to be published in the Family Law Quarterly periodical, 2026**

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A friend of mine in Northern California called me recently, overwhelmed. She and her ex-husband have been divorced for over a year and, up until now, things had been stable. He’s a good father, involved in their kids’ lives, and he had always paid child support on time. The two of them have an amicable relationship and always prioritize the children’s needs.

Then he lost his job.

He called her to explain that he wouldn’t be able to make his payments for the foreseeable future. Not because he didn’t want to—but because he simply couldn’t.

In a region where the cost of living is already stretched thin, her immediate reaction was panic. How do you suddenly replace that income? How do you continue covering rent, groceries, school expenses, and everything else that comes with raising two children? Her income just wasn’t enough.

Situations like this are more common than people realize. When support payments stop, it’s often not due to conflict or unwillingness—it’s because of circumstances outside anyone’s control. Job loss and disability are two of the biggest reasons court-ordered support goes unpaid.

But the system doesn’t offer much flexibility in those moments.

Yes, there are legal avenues. You can hire an attorney and go back to court. But those options are expensive, time-consuming, and often escalate tension between two people who may otherwise have a respectful co-parenting relationship. In cases like my friend’s, where both parties are acting in good faith, legal action can feel like the wrong solution to the wrong problem.

What’s missing is a practical way to handle temporary disruptions—something that acknowledges real life happens between court orders.

Right now, the only form of protection for the loss of child support and alimony payments is due to the payor dying in the form of a life insurance policy. But that only addresses one outcome. What if the payor remains alive and is willing to pay, but temporarily unable to because they’ve incurred a temporary disability or suddenly found themselves downsized at their job due to AI innovation.

That gap—between obligation and ability—is where many families quietly struggle.

Entrepreneur and co-founder, Ron Platt of the National Association for Single and Divorced Families (NASDF), a non-profit that provides an umbrella of products, services, support and resources for divorcing couples and single-family households created a solution in the form of a new insurance policy that combines child support insurance and alimony insurance under one policy called Support Insured. Instead of relying on legal enforcement after payments stop, it’s designed to provide short-term continuity when unexpected events like layoffs, disability, or business closures interrupt someone’s ability to pay. Under this policy, if the payor dies, becomes temporarily disabled, involuntarily loses their job or has to declare a business bankruptcy as a sole-proprietor, maintenance payments will continue for up to one-year.

The goal isn’t to replace the system, but to stabilize it—so that children aren’t affected by circumstances neither parent planned for, and so that one unexpected setback doesn’t immediately turn into a financial crisis or a legal battle.

“Most people take their financial obligations seriously, especially when it comes to their children. But with a wavering economy and job uncertainty these days, having an affordable level of protection for unexpected situations is always helpful.” Says Ron Platt, “if you can keep the couple out of court, at least for a year, it further creates a stronger foundation for their family.”

Because for many families, the real problem isn’t unwillingness. It’s unpredictability and that’s where insurance helps fill the gap.

The best part, either the payor or the payee can purchase it online through NASDF’s website. When you visit the site, there’s a tab called Support Insured. If you click on it, you will see a Q&A section, a tab to enroll with very easy questions. Once you’re accepted you simply put your credit card information in and you will receive a Certificate of Coverage along with a discounted one-year membership to NASDF.

NASDF’s mission is to help families restart their lives by providing services that you need. For example, they offer 3-free mental health care sessions for you or your children, with discounted sessions thereafter. They also offer career guidance, real estate services with discounts towards your closing costs. Early childhood education discounts. Discounts on diapers, formulas, medical and school supplies, along with other cost saving benefits. Resources for attorneys, mediators, divorce coaches, financial advisors and more.

When you’re in a stressful situation, sorting through resources on the internet is time consuming and irritating. Having one place to go to find everything you need and the ability to insure your child support and alimony payments is a true lifesaver. 

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-Ron Platt, CEO and Co-Founder of NASDF