The Board granted recognition of the Appellant as the Veteran's surviving spouse for VA benefits purposes, based on a deemed valid common law marriage.
The deciding factor: The evidence supported that the Appellant and Veteran attempted to enter into a common law marriage in February 2019 while living in Alabama, where common law marriages were not recognized at the time. The Appellant was unaware of this legal impediment, and they cohabitated continuously until 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
- March 12, 2025
- Citation
- A25022871
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.