The Board has determined that the appellant is not entitled to recognition as the veteran's surviving spouse for DIC purposes due to a valid divorce decree issued in March 1953, which terminated their marriage. The appellant did not satisfy the requirements for being a surviving spouse under VA regulations.
The deciding factor: The evidence on file shows that a divorce decree was issued in March 1953 by the State of Utah dissolving the marriage between the veteran and the appellant. The appellant does not satisfy the legal requirement to be recognized as the veteran's surviving spouse for VA purposes.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- January 31, 2001
- Citation
- 0103093
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0103093.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
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