Can I collect Social Security based on an ex-spouse's work record?
Possibly. SSA's divorced-spouse rules generally require a marriage of at least ten years that ended in a final divorce, age 62 or older, being currently unmarried, and not already receiving a benefit of your own at least half the size of the former spouse's full-retirement-age amount.
If the former spouse is at least 62 but has not applied, a divorced spouse may still qualify once the divorce has been final for at least two continuous years. Benefits paid to an ex-spouse do not count toward the worker's family maximum.
As with any spouse's benefit, SSA pays your own benefit first plus any excess divorced-spouse amount, so the total generally equals the higher of the two rather than both. This page covers a living former spouse; if a former spouse has died, that is a survivor question.
Reviewed by Bay Area Wealth Advisors. Last reviewed 2026-09-24. Educational information only — not individualized financial, tax or legal advice.