‘Power move’: Michigan husband says he’ll end the marriage unless his wife signs a postnup shielding 1 financial safety net. Should she walk first?

“He thinks it protects his life insurance,” she told the hosts. They weren’t so sure.

“His language already, with you guys getting back together, feels very wrong… It’s a power move,” said host Rachel Cruze.

“This is another manipulation tactic right here,” added host George Kamel. “He’s dangling this thing over you.”

Here’s what’s behind her story — and what first steps someone in a similar situation could take to protect themselves.

He says it’s about life insurance — but his behavior is saying something different

It makes sense to worry about life insurance policies ahead of a pending divorce. Unless the divorce was amicable, you’ll probably want to change your beneficiary — and depending on where you live, it might change automatically when you divorce.

And if you have whole life insurance with cash value, there’s a chance you’ll have to protect your coverage in court. These policies can be considered “joint marital property” and therefore be split during divorce proceedings.

But asking your spouse to sign away her rights to your joint business in order to avoid divorce doesn’t help you protect your life insurance policy. If anything, putting such a steep ultimatum on getting back together puts your life insurance in jeopardy, as it incentivizes her to divorce you sooner rather than later.

“That’s a very odd bargaining chip,” said Kamel.

Leah says that her husband was verbally and emotionally abusive, which led to the couple separating. The hosts say this postnup could be a sign he doesn’t plan to change that behavior if they get back together.

“The fact that he’s already thrown a postnup… and the only asset that you guys have, and your livelihood, that he’s not even willing to give you that — I think he’s telling you something without actually saying it,” said Cruze.