Denied
The Board denied the appellant's claim for recognition as the Veteran's surviving spouse for VA death benefits due to lack of evidence supporting a common law marriage.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support that the appellant and the Veteran had entered into a valid common law marriage, given their reported separation in 2001 and the absence of corroborating evidence such as joint bills or tax returns.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 31, 2025
- Citation
- A25008911
Want to see how appeals like this one tend to go? Appeals like mine
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.