The Board denied the appellant's claim to be recognized as the veteran's surviving spouse for VA benefits, finding that she was not married to the veteran at the time of his death and did not meet the requirements for a deemed valid marriage.
The deciding factor: The divorce between the appellant and the veteran was legally dissolved in Michigan, and there is no evidence of continuous cohabitation from the date of their marriage until the veteran's death. The Board found that these conditions precluded recognition as the surviving spouse.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 30, 2000
- Citation
- 0031077
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0031077.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.