The Board denied the appellant's claim for recognition as the veteran's surviving spouse, finding that she did not meet the legal definition of a surviving spouse due to her divorce from the veteran and lack of subsequent remarriage.
The deciding factor: The appellant was legally divorced from the veteran in October 1979 and there is no evidence of any subsequent re-marriage. The appellant does not meet the legal requirement for recognition as the veteran's 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
- January 14, 2005
- Citation
- 0501219
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 0501219.
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.