“Dependent in the care of” in renters insurance means that someone living with you for an extended period is dependent on you legally and financially, and that you’re providing financial, health, disciplinary, and supervisory care.
The terms seem ambiguous, and there is no strict legal definition for either “dependent” or “in the care of.” However, there have been lawsuits where courts have been forced to decide if someone is in fact a “dependent in the care of.”
If you’re wondering if you or someone in your care is “a dependent in the care of,” here’s how the courts considered the matter. Note that the following is not legal advice, but rather a survey of publicly available information:
To reasonably be considered a dependent, a person would need to:
- Have some semblance of a familial relationship with the insured
- Be claimed as a dependent on the insured’s tax return
- Be given money, credit cards, or an allowance by the insured
- Have their healthcare paid for by the insured
- Be designated as a beneficiary of the insured’s health insurance policy
- Have their comings and goings controlled or monitored by the insured
To be reasonably considered “in the care of”, a person would need to be:
- Legally entitled to care from the insured
- Dependent in some form on the insured
- Supervised or provided discipline by the insured
- Provided substantial essential financial support by the insured
- Living consistently with the insured
- Under the age of 21 and not an emancipated adult
- In poor health requiring care by the insured
- Under- or unemployed, earning very little per year
