The Board has denied the appellant's claim for recognition as the Veteran's surviving spouse, finding that she was not married to the Veteran at the time of his death and did not live continuously with him from the date of marriage until his death.
The deciding factor: The divorce between the appellant and the Veteran is found valid under Missouri law, and there is no evidence of fraud or improper service. The appellant does not meet the requirements for surviving spouse status as defined by VA regulations.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 31, 2018
- Citation
- 1806200
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 1806200.
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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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.