If you’ve managed to start a 529 college savings account, pat yourself on the back.You’ll be glad you set one up — and you’re lucky you have money to spare, since plenty of people don’t.
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Alan Feigenbaum, a matrimonial and family law attorney with Blank Rome in New York, generally has several questions on his 529 checklist.
When it comes time to pay for college, does the couple intend to exhaust the 529 account before making any additional payments to educational institutions? If there’s money left over in an account, what happens to it?
He also sees situations where soon-to-be former spouses are aware of 529 accounts that the ex’s relatives have opened. How do those accounts fit into any settlement agreement, if at all?
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"How to Protect College Savings in Case of Divorce or Death," by Ron Lieber was published in The New York Times on May 30, 2026.