The Board has determined that the appellant's claim of having a valid common law marriage with the Veteran prior to March 2008 needs further development and reconsideration. The VA will need to gather additional evidence, including signed statements from the appellant regarding her knowledge of the legal impediment in 1988, and any supporting documents showing shared addresses.
The deciding factor: The validity of the common law marriage is at issue due to the lack of a formal marriage certificate and the requirement that the marriage must have been valid under the law of the place where the parties resided at the time of marriage. The appellant needs to provide evidence of her knowledge of the legal impediment in 1988 and any shared addresses.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- July 10, 2018
- Citation
- 18117271
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 18117271.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
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