The Veteran and the appellant were not married for one year prior to his death, as required by Georgia law. The Board found that they did not meet the criteria for recognition as his surviving spouse for entitlement to VA benefits.
The deciding factor: The appellant and the Veteran were not married for at least one year prior to the Veteran's death in July 2005, which is a requirement under Georgia law for eligibility as a surviving spouse. Additionally, they did not meet other criteria such as having lived together for two and a half years before their marriage.
- 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
- May 27, 2009
- Citation
- 0919690
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 0919690.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
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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