What couples tend to worry about
Most couples share a home, bills and a plan for the next few years. The question behind life insurance is simple: if one of us died, could the other keep the life we built? That means the rent or mortgage, the car loan and the everyday spending one salary might not stretch to.
Couples without children sometimes assume they do not need cover. If you rely on two incomes to afford where you live, you probably do. Even a modest policy can give the survivor time to grieve and make decisions without money forcing their hand. You might keep the home, move somewhere smaller or pay off the car, and it would be your partner's choice to make.
One joint policy or two single ones
A joint life first death policy covers both of you, pays out once if either dies during the term, then stops. It is simple and normally cheaper than two policies for the same amount. If both of you died together, a joint policy would still pay only once, so check that fits your plans.
Two single policies each pay out on the death of the person they cover. If you both died, both would pay, which can matter if you have children. If you split up, each person walks away with their own policy and no awkward conversations about who keeps it.
- Joint: one premium, one payout, ends after the first claim
- Single: two premiums, two possible payouts, each keeps their own
- Single policies can be put in separate trusts with different beneficiaries
- If one of you has health conditions, separate cover can be priced individually
Married, civil partners or living together
Married couples and civil partners usually inherit from each other under intestacy rules and can generally pass assets between them free of inheritance tax. Couples who live together have neither protection by default. Many people assume living together for years gives a partner the same rights as marriage. In law it does not, so planning matters more.
If you are not married, a will and a trust are worth more than you might think. A life policy written in trust for your partner sends the money to them directly. Without that, it could go to your estate and then to your family under the intestacy rules instead.
Sizing cover around two lives
Look at what each of you brings in and what the home costs to run. Couples on very different salaries sometimes choose different amounts of cover on two single policies, so the lower earner is not over-insured and the higher earner has enough.
Critical illness cover is worth a conversation too. A serious illness is something many couples have to plan around in their working lives, and a lump sum could let one of you take time off to care for the other.
Things to talk through together
Life insurance can feel like an awkward subject over dinner, so start with practical points. Who pays which bills at the moment? Could either of you afford the home alone? Would the survivor want to stay put or move closer to family? Your answers shape the amount and the length of the cover.
Talk openly about health too. Each person answers their own medical questions, and a past illness or family history on one side can change the price or terms of a joint policy for both of you. Separate policies keep each person's answers on their own application.
Then agree what you want if children come along. Some couples choose a longer term now with a family in mind. Others take a smaller policy today and plan a review when a baby arrives, which keeps the monthly cost down while the plan is still taking shape.
How Hi Tomorrow helps couples
We talk to you both, together or separately, and show the joint and single options side by side using quotes from the insurers on our panel. We explain what each would pay and when, so you can choose with the full picture.
We help with each person's medical questions, which can differ a lot, and set up any trusts at the same time. If your relationship changes later, we can review the cover so it still fits. That might mean a new trust, a bigger policy after a house move or splitting joint cover into two.