The Veteran's death was recognized as a result of his common-law marriage to the appellant, and she is granted recognition as his surviving spouse for VA benefits purposes.
The deciding factor: The evidence established that the appellant and the Veteran held themselves out as husband and wife throughout their relationship, which was deemed valid under Pennsylvania law. The appellant resided with the Veteran continuously from the date of their marriage until his death, meeting the criteria for a surviving spouse.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 10, 2012
- Citation
- 1216805
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 1216805.
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
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