The Veteran and the appellant were legally married in January 2010, lived together continuously for more than a year prior to the Veteran's death, held themselves out as husband and wife to the public, and had no knowledge of Arizona's nonrecognition of common law marriages. The Board finds that their attempted common law marriage is deemed valid for VA purposes, and the appellant is recognized as the Veteran's surviving spouse.
The deciding factor: The attempted common law marriage between the Veteran and appellant was deemed valid due to lack of knowledge of the impediment (Arizona's nonrecognition of common law marriages) and continuous cohabitation without separation.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 8, 2015
- Citation
- 1543239
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 1543239.
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
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
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.