The Board has determined that the appellant and the veteran had a deemed valid marriage for VA purposes, based on their continuous cohabitation from the date of the attempted marriage until the veteran's death.
The deciding factor: The Board accepted the appellant's statement that she was unaware of any legal impediment to her marriage to the veteran, including his prior common law marriage with J.W., and found that she entered into the marriage without knowledge of such an impediment.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- February 4, 2008
- Citation
- 0803955
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0803955.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board allowed the benefit or issue identified in this decision. Review the original order: other issues in the same appeal may have a different outcome, and this decision does not predict another claim.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
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