Granted
The appellant was granted recognition as the veteran's surviving spouse for VA purposes based on continuous cohabitation from marriage to death, despite a legal separation.
The deciding factor: The final separation in 1995 or 1996 was due to the veteran's misconduct without fault of the appellant, meeting the criteria for continuous cohabitation.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 9, 2009
- Citation
- 0904550
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
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.