The Board found that the appellant was not the veteran's surviving spouse for VA purposes due to conflicting evidence and the fact that the veteran entered into a common law marriage with another woman prior to September 17, 2003. The appellant did not meet the criteria for entitlement to VA death pension benefits as a surviving spouse.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was no credible evidence of a valid common law marriage between the veteran and the appellant, despite her claims. The veteran had entered into a legal common law marriage with another woman prior to September 17, 2003, which made it legally impossible for him to enter into a common law marriage with the appellant.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 15, 2006
- Citation
- 0625137
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 0625137.
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.