Veterans’ RightsAn independent resource for veterans
← All decisions
Denied

The Board has determined that the appellant is not entitled to be recognized as the veteran's surviving spouse for VA benefits purposes due to a lack of evidence supporting their marriage and cohabitation after the veteran's second divorce.

The deciding factor: There was no formal or deemed valid marriage between the veteran and the appellant, and there was no evidence of cohabitation that would support a common-law marriage. The veteran did not hold himself out as married to the appellant after his second divorce in 1993.

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 22, 2007
Citation
0701671

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 0701671.

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

Free starter guide for your own claim

Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.

We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.

We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.

This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.