Denied
The Veteran's divorce from the Appellant occurred in 1981, and they did not remarry prior to his death. The Appellant remarried after the divorce but is not considered the surviving spouse due to her second marriage.
The deciding factor: The Appellant and the Veteran divorced in 1981 and did not remarry each other before the Veteran's death. Therefore, she does not qualify as a surviving spouse under 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
- April 4, 2019
- Citation
- 19125138
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.