Divorce can Complicate Social Security Claims – Knowing the rules involving spousal and survivor benefits can prevent costly errors.
If yours was among the roughly 50 percent of marriages that ended in divorce, you may want to brush up on the Social Security rules involving spousal and survivor benefits. Why? Because mistakes can be quite costly. The LA Times recently offered a brief primer, highlighting the primary issues that could affect divorced people in their retirement years. The Basics. If you were married for at least 10 years to someone who paid into the Social Security system, you are entitled to a spousal benefit, even if you are divorced from that person. Spousal benefits, if claimed at your full…