What are the qualifications for an ex-wife to claim divorced spouse Social Security?

In order for an ex-spouse to claim Social Security, the marriage must have lasted 10 years or longer, and the ex-spouse must be unmarried, the Social Security Administration reports. The ex-spouse must be age 62 or older.

Other qualifications that must be met in order for an ex-spouse to claim benefits from Social Security include the fact that the ex-spouse can collect on retirement benefits even if the other spouse has not yet applied for benefits, if the couple has been divorced for at least two years. If the ex-spouse remarries, she cannot collect benefits on the other spouse's record unless her marriage ends by divorce, annulment or death, says the Social Security Administration.