§ 725.204 Determination of relationship; spouse.

(a) For the purpose of augmenting benefits, an individual will be considered to be the spouse of a miner if: (1) The courts of the State in which the miner is domiciled would find that such individual and the miner validly married; or (2) The courts of the State in which the miner is domiciled would find, under the law they would apply in determining the devolution of the miner's intestate personal property, that the individual is the miner's spouse; or (3) Under State law, such individual would have the right of a spouse to share in the miner's intestate personal property; or (4) Such individual went through a marriage ceremony with the miner resulting in a purported marriage between them and which, but for a legal impediment, would have been a valid marriage, unless the individual entered into the purported marriage with knowledge that it was not a valid marriage, or if such individual and the miner were not living in the same household in the month in which a request is filed that the miner's benefits be augmented because such individual qualifies as the miner's spouse. (b) The qualification of an individual for augmentation purposes under this section shall end with the month before the month in which: (1) The individual dies, or (2) The individual who previously qualified as a spouse for purposes of § 725.520(c), entered into a valid marriage without regard to this section, with a person other than the miner.