The Board has determined that the appellant is recognized as the veteran's surviving spouse for VA benefits purposes, despite their previous divorce.
The deciding factor: The appellant and the veteran held themselves out as husband and wife to the public, resided together continuously from the date of marriage until the veteran's death, and provided care for the veteran's medical needs. The appellant also indicated she was unaware of the jurisdiction's failure to recognize common-law marriages.
- 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 9, 2008
- Citation
- 0822498
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 0822498.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
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