The Board denied the appellant's claim for recognition as the surviving spouse of the Veteran, finding that she was not legally married to him at the time of his death and had not maintained a valid marital relationship with him since their divorce in May 1991.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support the appellant's contention that she remained married to the Veteran after their legal divorce in 1991, or that they had resumed living together as a common-law couple. The Board found her claims for surviving spouse status lacking credibility and unsupported by the record.
- 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
- June 16, 2009
- Citation
- 0922585
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 0922585.
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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