Legal Definitions - surviving spouse

Surviving spouse

A surviving spouse is a husband or wife who outlives their partner. This includes both widows and widowers. The term is often used in legal contexts such as estate taxation, probate, and estate administration.

Example 1: John and Jane were married for 30 years. When John passed away, Jane became his surviving spouse.

Example 2: After her husband's death, Mary was entitled to receive his pension as his surviving spouse.

These examples illustrate how a surviving spouse is the husband or wife who outlives their partner. In Example 1, Jane becomes John's surviving spouse after he passes away. In Example 2, Mary is entitled to receive her husband's pension as his surviving spouse.