The Board found that the appellant is not the surviving spouse of the veteran for the purpose of payment of VA death benefits due to her divorce from the veteran in June 1977, which was valid under Louisiana law.
The deciding factor: The appellant and the veteran were legally divorced on June 6, 1977, and she did not meet the requirements for being considered the surviving spouse as per VA regulations.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 4, 2002
- Citation
- 0213672
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 0213672.
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.