Can I still claim Social Security with an unresolved marriage from the 80s?

You should be fine for your own retirement benefits. Your marital status doesn't affect your ability to claim your own Social Security retirement benefits based on your work record. The unresolved marriage would only matter if you were trying to claim spousal or survivor benefits on his record (which doesn't sound like what you want to do anyway). Your own retirement benefits are based on your own earnings history, regardless of marital status. Just apply as normal when you're ready to claim benefits.

As someone who's been through almost the exact same situation, I can tell you from experience what will happen. When you apply for SS benefits, you'll need to list ALL marriages. You'll put down the date of marriage and then for the end date, you'll select "unknown" or "separated" since you don't have a divorce decree. This is IMPORTANT: they will ask for his SSN and other details - just provide whatever information you do have, and write "unknown" for what you don't know. The SSA will research if he's eligible and if you qualify for any spousal benefits (unlikely after only 6 months of marriage). But your OWN benefits won't be affected regardless. Just be 100% honest on the application.

ur overthinking this. my mom had 3 ex husbands and got her ss just fine. they only care bout YOUR work record for YOUR benefits.

I went through this EXACT SITUATION last year and it was a NIGHTMARE trying to reach someone at Social Security to help me!!! I kept calling and calling and would be on hold for 2+ hours only to get disconnected. I tried going to the local office but the line was out the door at 7am!! I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) which got me through to an agent in under 10 minutes. They have this video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. The agent walked me through exactly what to put on the form when I didn't have all my ex's info. Saved me SO much stress.

Everyone seems to be focusing on retirement benefits, but there's another option to consider. Since this marriage lasted less than 10 years (WAY less), you wouldn't qualify for spousal benefits on his record anyway. However, I do recommend you try to officially resolve this situation before applying for benefits. While it won't stop you from getting YOUR benefits, having an unresolved marriage could cause complications, especially if he somehow tries to claim on your record someday or if his survivors eventually try to. If you have no idea where he is, most states have procedures for divorce when a spouse can't be located. You might ask in r/legaladvice about options in your state.

I got DIVORCED twice and it caused NO ISSUES with my SS application!!! They just asked for the info and I gave it. The whole process was smooth and my check hits my account EVERY MONTH like clockwork! Your situation sounds more complicated but I don't think they'll deny benefits that are RIGHTFULLY YOURS just because of some ancient marriage! The government isn't THAT cruel (usually)!

Social Security Representative here. Your own retirement benefits are entirely based on your own work record and are completely separate from any marital considerations. When you apply, you'll need to disclose all marriages as a legal requirement, but limited information about a spouse from decades ago won't prevent you from claiming your benefits. However, there are two technical points to be aware of: 1. You'll need to select "married" as your current status if legally you never divorced, even if you've been separated for decades. 2. On the application, you'll need to provide whatever information you have about the marriage (date, location, spouse's name) and indicate "unknown" for information you don't have. The SSA has procedures for handling situations like yours. Be truthful on your application to avoid potential fraud issues later.

Yes, a copy of your marriage certificate would be helpful documentation. If you don't have it, you can usually request one from the vital records office in the county/state where you were married. Any paperwork from your previous divorce attempts might also be useful to document that you made good faith efforts to resolve the situation. When you apply, be prepared to answer questions about why you didn't complete the divorce - just be honest about the circumstances.

i had my friend who works at ssa look up ur question and she said as long as u dont try to claim on his record ur totally fine. just be honest on the forms and ull get ur money no prob