Denied
The Veteran's spouse, the appellant, is denied recognition as a surviving spouse due to Illinois not recognizing common law marriages. The marriage began in July 2000 and ended on January 2010, which is less than one year before the Veteran's death.
The deciding factor: Illinois does not recognize common law marriages, and the appellant and the Veteran were only married for slightly less than a year before the Veteran's death.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 2, 2019
- Citation
- 19123996
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.