The Board denied the appellant's claim of recognition as the veteran's surviving spouse for VA death benefits purposes due to a lack of evidence supporting a common law marriage prior to October 2004, and because she did not meet the legal requirements for such a marriage in Kentucky.
The deciding factor: The appellant and the veteran were not involved in a common law marriage prior to their formal marriage in October 2004. The Board found her statements and testimony lacking credibility regarding cohabitation before that date.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 31, 2008
- Citation
- 0845012
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 0845012.
What this means for you
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