The Board denied the appellant's claim for recognition as the Veteran's surviving spouse due to her divorce from the Veteran, which was final in October 2000. The Board found that there is no legal basis to recognize the appellant as a surviving spouse for VA benefits.
The deciding factor: The divorce between the appellant and the Veteran was valid under U.S. law, making their marriage void for VA 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
- August 13, 2019
- Citation
- 19162651
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 19162651.
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.