What an ex-wife is entitled to when ex-husband dies depends on divorce decree, will, beneficiary designations, and state law, generally ex-wife has limited rights unless specifically provided. Generally, after divorce, ex-wife is not automatically entitled to inheritance, as divorce severs inheritance rights, so if ex-husband dies without provision for ex-wife in will, she typically gets nothing from estate. However, ex-wife may be entitled to, if divorce agreement requires life insurance with ex-wife as beneficiary, she may get life insurance proceeds, common in divorces with children or alimony. If ex-wife was still named as beneficiary on life insurance, 401k, or IRA and ex-husband never changed it, she may still receive those assets as beneficiary designation overrides will in many states, though some states have laws automatically revoking ex-spouse beneficiary. If divorce decree awards alimony that continues after death via estate, estate may owe. For Social Security, ex-wife may be entitled to survivor benefits if marriage lasted at least 10 years, she is 60 or older or disabled, and she did not remarry before 60, she can claim ex-spouse survivor benefits based on ex-husband's record, even if he remarried. Child support obligations may continue as claim against estate. So ex-wife entitlement is limited to what divorce decree, beneficiary forms, and Social Security rules provide, not automatic inheritance.
1 votes
Marked as accepted