Divorce tends to create economic uncertainty. People worry about covering all of their expenses on their own. They feel anxious about dividing the property with their spouses.
The closer people are to retirement age, the more reason they may have to worry. Especially in cases where one spouse deprioritizes their career for the family, they may feel anxious about their benefits and retirement resources.
Does a divorce prevent a lower-earning or stay-at-home spouse from accessing Social Security retirement benefits?
Benefits may still be available
Some people truly feel trapped in unhealthy or unhappy marriages because they do not have their own resources. Spouses who did not work or who only worked part-time may not be eligible for full Social Security retirement benefits based on their personal employment history.
However, they may qualify for benefits as dependent spouses. The eligibility of a dependent spouse continues even after divorce in qualifying circumstances. If the marriage lasted for more than 10 years, then the non-working or lower-earning spouse could still be eligible for Social Security retirement benefits based on what the other spouse earned during the marriage.
A claim by a dependent spouse after divorce does not diminish the benefits granted to the wage-earning spouse. People can request benefits when they are not eligible at all, based on their own work history. They can also supplement their lower benefits based on the income of their higher-earning spouses.
Preparing carefully for the complexities of gray divorce can help people retire even after divorce. Learning about how the courts handle retirement resources and the laws regulating key benefits can give people the clarity they need to move forward with a divorce.