The Board determined that S.D.T. is not the veteran's spouse for VA benefits purposes due to a lack of mutual agreement and consent between them to enter into a common law marriage.
The deciding factor: There was no clear and convincing evidence showing an agreement between the parties to be married as husband and wife in Rhode Island, where common law marriages are recognized by the VA.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 16, 2001
- Citation
- 0113775
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 0113775.
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
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.