The Board denied the appellant's claim as she and the Veteran were legally divorced at the time of the Veteran's death, thus denying her status as his surviving spouse for VA benefits.
The deciding factor: The divorce between the appellant and the Veteran was validly obtained in the United States, which is recognized by the Philippines jurisdiction that issued the Veteran's marriage license to T.J. (the second wife).
- 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 5, 2018
- Citation
- 18140793
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 18140793.
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.