The Board denied the appellant's claim for recognition as the surviving spouse of the veteran, concluding that there was no valid marriage between them at the time of the veteran's death.
The deciding factor: The validity of the divorce decree is not in dispute and the actions taken by the veteran during the last few months of his life contradicted an intention to hold himself out as married to the appellant.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 27, 2001
- Citation
- 0105850
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 0105850.
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.