The Board denied the appellant's eligibility for DIC as a surviving spouse of her deceased husband due to lack of valid common law marriage prior to their actual marriage in June 2006.
The deciding factor: The appellant and the Veteran did not consider themselves married prior to their actual marriage, which was invalid due to the legal impediment of the appellant's previous marriage. The Board found that the appellant could not meet the criteria for a valid common law marriage as defined by New Hampshire state law.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 15, 2010
- Citation
- 1009680
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 1009680.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
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