Denied
The Veteran and the appellant were divorced at the time of his death, thus they did not have a valid marriage. The Board denied the claim for recognition as the surviving spouse due to lack of a valid marriage.
The deciding factor: The Veteran and the appellant were legally divorced at the time of the Veteran's death, which means their marriage was invalid for VA benefits purposes.
- 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 24, 2019
- Citation
- 19105745
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
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.