The Board denied the claim for recognition of the appellant as the veteran's surviving spouse due to her having been divorced from the veteran at the time of his death.
The deciding factor: The divorce between the veteran and the appellant was valid, and they did not remarry after their divorce. The reason for the divorce is not relevant to determining eligibility for benefits as a surviving spouse.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 7, 2001
- Citation
- 0126040
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 0126040.
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.