The appellant is recognized as the Veteran's surviving spouse for purposes of establishing basic eligibility for VA survivor's (death) benefits.
The deciding factor: The evidence reasonably establishes continuous cohabitation and that the Veteran and the appellant held themselves out as husband and wife from at least 2015 until the Veteran's death, meeting the criteria for a common law marriage under Colorado law.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 23, 2025
- Citation
- A25046399
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.