The Veteran and the appellant established a common law marriage for at least one year prior to his death, and they had no knowledge that Ohio did not recognize common law marriages when they began cohabitating in June 1993. The Board granted recognition as the surviving spouse of the Veteran.
The deciding factor: The evidence supported by sworn testimony from the appellant and corroborated statements from her family members held themselves out as married since approximately June 1993, which was deemed valid due to their lack of knowledge of the legal impediment in Ohio's 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
- May 4, 2017
- Citation
- 1714659
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 1714659.
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.