As the saying goes, “Marriage is about love, and divorce is about money.” Dividing property accumulated over the years can be as emotional as it can be difficult and fraught with legal complications. Deciding who gets which car may be an obvious decision in a divorce, but careful consideration of how to take possession of an affordable auto insurance policy may be a little more difficult. While auto insurance regulations and collision coverage requirements vary by state, there are enough similarities to offer this quick checklist to make sure that you’re covered.

Sometimes, if there are children involved, and the custodial parent incurs additional transportation costs such as driving more miles per year or needing to purchase a newer or larger car to take care of the kids’ needs, then the non-custodial parent may be ordered to pay all or part of the custodial parent’s auto insurance policy. Also, if it is necessary for one of you to purchase a new vehicle, a gap car insurance policy or a new auto insurance policy will be required before the car can be registered.

An auto insurance policy is a package of different coverage. Most states require you to purchase a minimum amount of certain kinds of coverage. But if you’re interested in protecting yourself from a lawsuit or from hefty repair bills, then it makes sense to buy more than what’s required.

Liability coverage is the foundation of any auto insurance policy, and is required in most states. If you are at fault in an accident, your liability insurance will pay for the bodily injury and property damage expenses caused to others in the accident, including your legal bills. Bodily-injury coverage pays for medical bills and lost wages. Property-damage coverage pays for the repair or replacement of things you wrecked other than your own car. The other party may also decide to sue you to collect “pain and suffering” damages.