The Board denied the appellant's claim as she was not legally married to the veteran at the time of his death, and thus cannot be recognized as his surviving spouse for VA benefits purposes.
The deciding factor: The appellant's marriage to the veteran had ended prior to his death, making her ineligible for recognition as a 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 26, 2005
- Citation
- 0501916
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 0501916.
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.