Due to the ever-changing face of divorce, New York couples that separate today are likely well-acquainted with how their divorce affects Social Security. But those that divorced years or even decades ago might not be as informed. This can apply to men and women, but women are likely to earn less than their husbands over the course of their lives, especially when they were married several decades before employers began practicing wage equality.

For instance, a woman that divorced her husband in New York in the 1970s after being married since the 1950s may be able to collect half of her ex-husband's Social Security benefits following divorce if she has not remarried. If she took time off work to raise children or made less money than her former husband, this difference can be significant. The Social Security Administration may even allow her to collect retroactive benefits going back six months, paid in a lump sum.

If the spouse is no longer alive, the woman could collect a widow benefit, switching to her own if it becomes higher when she reaches retirement age. It does not matter whether the husband remarried; the SSA determines how much the woman may collect based on his earnings and whether he is currently alive.

While the SSA has closed some benefit loopholes, collecting benefits on a former wife or husband's earnings is considered a legitimate move. Any family members can request a benefits review on behalf of an older relative, but so can other individuals. For instance, nursing home administrators, financial counselors and attorneys may do so in order to assist an elderly client or customer who is struggling with income and would benefit from additional benefits.

Source: Wall Street Journal, "When Divorce Pays Off," Ellen E. Schultz, Jan. 14, 2012