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 assigned
- None in this 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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0103093.
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.