In order to return a strategy for a divorcee you need to provide the Estimated Benefit Amount for yourself & your former spouse. Information about the your former spouse will not be provided by the Social Security Administration. You must be able to retrieve the information from either your former spouse or a Social Security Statement. If you are unable to obtain your former spouse's Estimated Benefit Amount, you may obtain it by going to the Social Security Administration with your divorce decree and marriage license and ask for your spousal benefit at full retirement age. Double that amount and you will have your former spouse's Estimated Benefit Amount. To run divorced scenario, the following conditions be met:
- You must have been married for at least 10 years.
- The marriage must have lasted for a minimum of 10 years.
- You must not be currently married. If you are now married, you are not eligible for a divorced spouse benefit.
- You must be at least full retirement age,
- The divorced spouse benefit you might be eligible to receive must be greater than any retirement benefit you would receive on your own earnings record.
If your former spouse has not applied for benefits but is at least age 62 and eligible for benefits, the you may still be eligible for a divorced spouse benefit, as long as the divorce has been final for 2 full years prior to filing for benefits. You can receive divorced spouse benefits based on the earnings record of only one former spouse. If you have been divorced more than once, use the highest Estimated Benefit Amount of the former spouses.