The Board denied the appellant's claim for recognition as the surviving spouse of the veteran due to a valid divorce judgment entered in May 1969, which rendered her ineligible for VA benefits.
The deciding factor: The certified copy of the divorce judgment from New Orleans is considered valid on its face and the appellant has no grounds to challenge it. The final dissolution order issued by the California court does not affect the validity of the Louisiana divorce judgment as there was already a legally granted divorce.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 27, 2006
- Citation
- 0622196
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 0622196.
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.