The Board denied the appellant's claim as she is not recognized as the surviving spouse of the veteran for VA benefits purposes.
The deciding factor: The appellant and the veteran were divorced in 1986, and at the time of the veteran's death in 2000, they had been divorced for over a decade. The Board found that she did not meet the legal definition of surviving spouse under 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
- March 24, 2004
- Citation
- 0407638
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 0407638.
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.