The Board denied the Appellant's claim for dependency and indemnity compensation benefits because her marriage to the Veteran did not meet the required 15-year or one-year marriage date requirements prior to his death.
The deciding factor: The marriage was not valid under Nebraska law, which does not recognize common-law marriages after 1923. The Appellant and the Veteran were not married before or during their service, nor within fifteen years of the termination of their service. They did not meet the one-year marriage requirement prior to 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
- November 19, 2019
- Citation
- 19187268
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.