The Board has granted the petition to reopen the claim of entitlement to status as a surviving spouse for purposes of VA death benefits, but denied the claim itself.
The deciding factor: The Veteran and appellant were not legally married at the time of the Veteran's death, despite their attempts to reconcile after divorce. The Board found that they did not meet the criteria for being considered spouses for VA purposes due to the nature of their separation.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 7, 2019
- Citation
- 19184530
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.