The Board denied the appellant's claim for recognition as the surviving spouse of the Veteran, finding that there was no valid marriage between them at the time of the Veteran's death. The appeal is therefore denied.
The deciding factor: There was no legal basis to find a valid marriage between the appellant and the Veteran at the time of the Veteran’s death due to their formal divorce in June 1973, which included 'cruel and abusive treatment' as the cause.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 23, 2020
- Citation
- 20080868
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
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.