Discussion Question : Social Security and Other Benefits
Children are entitled to support from their parents, and this right does not terminate upon the death of a parent. The child is still entitled to survivor rights, but those are dependent on a few different factors and addressed in this question. Read the scenario below.
Lisa and Frank had a child together, Shirley.
They were not married when Shirley was born. Frank is not listed on the baby's birth certificate as Shirley's father. Frank passes away. What rights, if any, does Shirley have to Frank's Social Security and any other death benefits? Will your answer change if Lisa and Frank were married? How can Shirley go about getting those benefits?
Justify your ideas and responses by using appropriate examples and references from Westlaw (including primary sources such as cases, statutes, rules, regulations, etc.), government websites, peer-reviewed legal periodicals (not lawyer blogs), which can be supplemented by law dictionaries or the textbook. This means you need to use more than just your text and legal dictionaries.