The Board denied the appellant's claim for recognition as the surviving spouse of the Veteran for VA death benefits due to her divorce from the Veteran prior to his death.
The deciding factor: The appellant and the Veteran were divorced in December 1994, which occurred before the Veteran’s death in October 2004. The Board found that she did not meet the legal criteria for being a surviving spouse as defined by 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
- November 29, 2019
- Citation
- 19189853
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 19189853.
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.