SCRANTON, Pa. (AP) - A Pennsylvania judge says a dead police officer’s ex-wife isn’t entitled to half his pension, which she had been receiving under a divorce agreement before he died.
The ruling by Lackawanna County judge says that Scranton’s pension rules trump the divorce agreement between 46-year-old Christine Brace and former city officer Dennis Lyons. He died in April 2015 at age 60.
The couple divorced in 2002 after being married for six years. After Lyons retired and started receiving a $2,284 pension in October 2012, Brace received half of it under a divorce-related court order.
Brace’s attorney argued that the divorce settlement stipulated that Lyons’ death wouldn’t affect Brace’s rights to the money.
But the judge agreed that city pension rules, which prevent ex-spouses from receiving benefits, overrule the divorce settlement.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.