For many people, one of their main concerns when planning their retirement is how to ensure their spouse or other survivors are cared for in the event of their passing. It's a sad reality, but one that smart retirement planners face. The good news is that most retirement plans and pensions include a survivor benefit. In general, most of these plans provide for a payment for the duration of your spouse's life at 50% of the rate you were both receiving. Unless you and your spouse sign a waiver to cancel that benefits, this is likely included in your plan automatically.

Most people wish for their survivor benefits to go to their spouses, but if you don't have a spouse or wish for your benefits to go to another individual after your death, you can ask your plan manager to do so. There may be a minimal amount of paperwork to be done, but on the whole, the process should be easily done.

If you are the surviving spouse or the beneficiary of a retiree and are being told that you aren't eligible for survivor benefits, call our ERISA lawyers immediately. In most cases, this is the result of a paperwork error on the part of the company handling the retirement or pension plan, but convincing them that it is their error is difficult. You'll want an experienced legal team to deal with this for you to ensure you are getting the proper representation and all of the benefits to which you are entitled. You can get a free consultation with our ERISA lawyers by giving us a call today.