Among the Ask a Divorce Lawyer questions answered today by Cordell & Cordell attorneys:

• My ex is withholding information I think I should have a legal right to such as our child's social security number and birth certificate. How can I get this information from her?
• My son lives in a different state from where our divorce was finalized and the age of emancipation is lower there. Which state's rules of emancipation apply?
• I was served with the petition for dissolution and my spouse's attorney added the children as petitioners. Is this common and what is the strategy behind it?
• Our kids are constantly tardy or absent from school when staying with their mother. What can I do?
• If we get a divorce and he moves out of the country, can I still get child support?

Question:

I am 63 and have been providing monthly spousal support for my ex-wife, who is 62, for the past 18 years. We were married for 22 years. Our children are all grown and she has a college degree. The agreement did not have an end date and my income has decreased significantly since the original agreement date but the spousal support amount has remained the same. I'm having a difficult time paying bills or saving any money for retirement.

Is it possible to amend or end the spousal support once my ex-wife is eligible for social security retirement benefits or other circumstance? She has not remarried.

By Jennifer M. Paine

Attorney, Cordell & Cordell, P.C., Detroit office

Note: This is Part 3 of a three-part overview of the Social Security Act’s  divorced spouse Social Security retirement benefits. Click here to read Part 1 and click here to read Part 2.

Here is an overview of the Social Security Act’s divorced spouse Social Security retirement benefits to consider as you contemplate divorce, negotiate your settlement, or select the date to make your decree effective.

In this final part, we'll address two questions:

• Do divorced spouse retirement benefits terminate if I remarry?
• How can I learn more?

By Jennifer M. Paine

Attorney, Cordell & Cordell, P.C., Detroit office

Note: This is Part 2 of a three-part overview of the Social Security Act’s  divorced spouse Social Security retirement benefits. Click here to read Part 1 and click here to read Part 3.

Here is an overview of the Social Security Act’s divorced spouse Social Security retirement benefits to consider as you contemplate divorce, negotiate your settlement, or select the date to make your decree effective.

In this part, we'll address two questions:

• Am I eligible for divorce spouse retirement benefits?
• How are those benefits calculated?

By Jennifer M. Paine

Attorney, Cordell & Cordell, P.C., Detroit office

Note: This is Part 1 of a three-part overview of the Social Security Act’s  divorced spouse Social Security retirement benefits. Click here to read Part 2 and click here to read Part 3.

If the prospect of a penniless retirement leaves you shaking, you might want to delay your divorce until you have been married at least 10 years. That's what some people are learning the hard way.

Here is an overview of the Social Security Act’s  divorced spouse Social Security retirement benefits to consider as you contemplate divorce, negotiate your settlement, or select the date to make your decree effective.