Granted
The Board found that the appellant and the Veteran remained married at the time of the Veteran's death, despite a divorce being noted in some documents. The Board also found that the separation was due to the Veteran's misconduct without fault on the part of the appellant. As such, the appellant is recognized as the surviving spouse for VA benefits.
The deciding factor: The Board resolved doubt in favor of the appellant regarding her marital status at the time of the Veteran's death and determined she should be recognized as his surviving spouse.
- 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 25, 2019
- Citation
- 19132423
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
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.