05 Jun I can’t get info on my husband’s pension. What can I do?

Q. My husband was a union worker and he retired in February 2024 at the age of 66. He passed away in March 2025. On his retirement request form in February, he listed himself from married to single. The pension department won’t tell me anything more, even though I have provided the marriage certificate and other documents, including me as the executor. I decided to hire an attorney to help me to see if there is an annuity or other funds from the pension, but the company isn’t answering the attorney either. What can I do? I know my husband falsely represented his relationship status, but I think by law, they should have had to see divorce papers or otherwise contact me when he wanted to make the change.
— Frustrated

A. What a mess.

You’re correct that certain retirement plans do require a spouse to sign off on beneficiary changes.

But it depends on the details of the plan.

You can take it further, said Alana Lightenberg, an attorney at Wells, Jaworski & Liebman, LLP, in Paramus.

“Given that you have already been appointed as executor of the estate, and have retained an attorney, it would be best to consult with your attorney and request that subpoenas be sent to these institutions that are not cooperative or responsive to your previous requests for information,” she said.

Lightenberg said subpoenas may prove to be a more effective method when information is required, and the institution is not cooperative in providing the necessary information.

“The subpoena demands that the institution provide the information and/or documentation by a certain date and outlines the scope of the information being sought. It should be considered a useful tool when administering an estate,” she said.

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This story was originally published in June 2026. 

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