Ask the Experts: Collecting on Your Ex’s Social Security Benefit

Q. Can I collect on my ex-wife’s Social Security? We were married for nine years. She is 58 and I am 61. She always made more money than I did.

A. You do not qualify for benefits based on your ex-wife’s work record because you were married for less than 10 years. Social Security rules require that marriages must last for 10 years or longer in order to collect benefits based on a divorced spouse’s work history. 

Source: Social Security Administration