The Board determined that the appellant could not be recognized as the veteran's surviving spouse for VA benefit purposes due to her divorce from him at the time of his death and lack of a valid marriage.
The deciding factor: The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico did not recognize common-law marriages, and any cohabitation between the veteran and the appellant following their July 1989 divorce could not establish a de facto marriage for VA benefit 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
- June 24, 2002
- Citation
- 0206780
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 0206780.
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.