The Board denied the appellant's claim for recognition as the surviving spouse of the veteran, finding that their relationship did not constitute a deemed valid marriage and thus they are not entitled to VA death pension or dependency and indemnity compensation.
The deciding factor: The appellant and the veteran entered into a ceremonial marriage more than 15 years after the veteran's discharge from active service. The Board concluded that this relationship did not meet the requirements for a deemed valid marriage due to lack of awareness by the appellant regarding Tennessee's recognition of common-law marriages, and their failure to hold themselves out as husband and wife.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- December 10, 2004
- Citation
- 0432850
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0432850.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
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