20 CFR 404.344 : Employees' Benefits (§ 1.1 To Parts 1011-1099) — (Part 400 To Part 499) — Social Security Administration (Part 400 To Part 499) — Federal Old-Age, Survivors And Disability Insurance (1950- ) (§ 404.1 To § 404.2127) — Old-Age, Disability, Dependents' And Survivors' Insurance Benefits; Period Of Disability (§ 404.301 To § 404.392) — Benefits For Spouses And Divorced Spouses (§ 404.330 To § 404.349) — Your relationship by marriage to the insured.

You may be eligible for benefits if you are related to the insured person as a wife, husband, widow, or widower. To decide your relationship to the insured, we look first to State laws. The State laws that we use are discussed in § 404.345. If your relationship cannot be established under State law, you may still be eligible for benefits if your relationship as the insured's wife, husband, widow, or widower is based upon a deemed valid marriage as described in § 404.346.