The Board has determined that a deemed valid marriage existed between the claimant and the veteran for VA purposes, allowing the claimant to be recognized as the surviving spouse.
The deciding factor: The evidence showed continuous cohabitation of the claimant and the veteran as husband and wife prior to the veteran's death, with no knowledge of legal impediments by the claimant.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 21, 2001
- Citation
- 0123034
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 0123034.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
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.