My ex-husband divorced me years ago, and at that time he had Alzheimers. However, he had impreganated another woman, and I gave him a divorce so that he could have a family. That was thirty (30) years ago. I know that people with Alzheimers do not live longer than ten (10) years after they have been diagnosed with the disease. The problem is I can't find a death certificate in his name. I can't re-marry because we were married, in "the high church", in the style of a Catholic wedding. Where should I look? How do I obtain a copy of his death certificate, please?

Hi. I'm sorry, but your question is outside of my area of expertise. Although I consider myself an expert on Social Security benefits, obtaining death certificates is not something that I know much about. Death certificates are public records, though, so if you know what state your ex-spouse resided in then you may want to start with the vital statistics office in that state.

As for Social Security benefits, if you were married to your ex-spouse for at least 10 years and if you are currently unmarried, or if married your current marriage occurred at age 60 or later, then you may be able to qualify for divorced spousal benefits. Social Security has some death information in their records that come from funeral homes and state death indexes, so you wouldn't necessarily need a death certificate to apply for Social Security benefits on your ex's account.

Best, Jerry