Sometimes co-parenting is one of the most difficult things that you can do. If your relationship with your child's parent has degraded so badly that you have little contact, you may be the last person to know if anything happens with them. However, if the other parent of your child dies, this will significantly change the course of direction for your child. Parenting 100% solo can be difficult, especially when you depended on help from the other parent. Here is how you can get survivor benefits to help take care of your child. 

Find the birth certificate or DNA test

In order to file for survivor benefits for a child, you will need to have proof that they are the child of the deceased person. The best way to prove this are to have the birth certificate that the parent signed or a DNA test that the parent has taken. If you do not have a signed birth certificate or a DNA test, you can ask one of their close family members to take a DNA examination. This will prove proper survivorship so that Social Security benefits can be received. 

Hire a Social Security attorney

Figuring out just how much Social Security and what kind your child is eligible for will be difficult if you did not have a good relationship with them. If you do not know their work history or their income it can be hard to determine how much they made over the course of their life. A Social Security attorney can do the research to determine the monthly benefit level for your child. They may also be able to let you know if there are other benefits left by the parent that your child is in line for, such as a pension or retirement account that names the child as next of kin. 

Find out if there are other children

If there are other children that the deceased parent provided for, this can impact how much each child receives in Social Security payments per month. It is a good idea to determine if there are other kids that the other parent is legally responsible for, including blood children and those adopted or step-children. Understanding the percentage that your child will be eligible for will let you know if your household will be stable on the benefits or if you will need to apply for other forms of social aid in order to make up for the shortfall. 

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