5 Rules for Claiming Social Security on Your Ex-Spouse After Divorce

Love and marriage don't always work out. But even if your marriage ended in divorce long ago, here's a piece of good news: You may be able to get more Social Security by taking benefits based on your ex-spouse's work record instead of your own.

You can claim up to 50% of your ex-spouse's primary insurance amount. That's the amount they're eligible for once they reach full retirement age, or FRA, which is between 66 and 67. If your ex-spouse is deceased, you may qualify for survivors benefits of up to 100%, though the rules for surviving divorced spouses are different.

Claiming Social Security based on a former spouse's record has zero impact on their benefits. So if you're the former spouse whose ex could get more based on your earnings, don't worry -- you'll still get your full monthly payments. If your current spouse gets benefits based on your record, their payments won't be impacted, either.

Source Fool.com