diff --git a/lib/lighthouse/benefits_documents/upload_status_updater.rb b/lib/lighthouse/benefits_documents/upload_status_updater.rb
index ee9721bb910..468a322cc5b 100644
--- a/lib/lighthouse/benefits_documents/upload_status_updater.rb
+++ b/lib/lighthouse/benefits_documents/upload_status_updater.rb
@@ -4,26 +4,24 @@
 
 module BenefitsDocuments
   class UploadStatusUpdater
-    # Parses the status of a Lighthouse526DocumentUpload submitted to Lighthouse
+    # Parses the status of a LighthouseDocumentUpload [EvidenceSubmission] submitted to Lighthouse
     # using metadata from the Lighthouse Benefits Documents API '/uploads/status' endpoint.
     # Provides methods to determine if a document has completed all steps or failed,
     # abstracting away the details of the Lighthouse status data structure.
     #
-    # Additionally, updates the state of a Lighthouse526DocumentUpload in vets-api to reflect
+    # Additionally, updates the state of a LighthouseDocumentUpload [EvidenceSubmission] in vets-api to reflect
     # the current status of a document as it transitions from Lighthouse > VBMS > BGS
     #
     # Documentation on the Lighthouse '/uploads/status' endpoint is available here:
     # https://dev-developer.va.gov/explore/api/benefits-documents/docs?version=current
 
-    # LIGHTHOUSE_DOCUMENT_COMPLETE_STATUS = 'SUCCESS'
-    # LIGHTHOUSE_DOCUMENT_FAILED_STATUS = 'FAILED'
     PROCESSING_TIMEOUT_WINDOW_IN_HOURS = 24
 
     # @param lighthouse_document_status [Hash] includes a single document's status progress
     # after it has been submitted to Lighthouse, while Lighthouse attempts to pass it on to
     # VBMS and then BGS. These data come from Lighthouse's '/uploads/status' endpoint.
     #
-    # @param lighthouse526_document_upload [Lighthouse526DocumentUpload] the VA.gov record of the document
+    # @param lighthouse_document_upload [EvidenceSubmission] the VA.gov record of the document
     # submitted to Lighthouse for tracking.
     #
     # example lighthouse_document_status hash:
@@ -67,16 +65,7 @@ def update_status
 
       process_failure if failed?
 
-      finalize_upload if completed? || failed?
-
-      # @lighthouse_document_upload.update!(status_last_polled_at: DateTime.now.utc)
-    end
-
-    def process_failure
-      @lighthouse_document_upload.update!(
-        acknowledgement_date: (DateTime.current + 30).utc,
-        error_message: @lighthouse_document_status_response['error']
-      )
+      process_upload if completed?
     end
 
     def get_failure_step
@@ -115,21 +104,20 @@ def log_status
       )
     end
 
-    def finalize_upload
-      # @lighthouse_document_upload.update!(lighthouse_processing_ended_at: end_time)
-
-      if completed?
-        @lighthouse_document_upload.update(
-          upload_status: BenefitsDocuments::Constants::UPLOAD_STATUS[:SUCCESS],
-          delete_date: (DateTime.current + 60).utc
-        )
-      else
-        @lighthouse_document_upload.update!(
-          upload_status: BenefitsDocuments::Constants::UPLOAD_STATUS[:FAILED],
-          failed_date: DateTime.now.utc,
-          error_message: @lighthouse_document_status_response['error']
-        )
-      end
+    def process_failure
+      @lighthouse_document_upload.update!(
+        upload_status: BenefitsDocuments::Constants::UPLOAD_STATUS[:FAILED],
+        failed_date: DateTime.now.utc,
+        acknowledgement_date: (DateTime.current + 30.days).utc,
+        error_message: @lighthouse_document_status_response['error']
+      )
+    end
+
+    def process_upload
+      @lighthouse_document_upload.update(
+        upload_status: BenefitsDocuments::Constants::UPLOAD_STATUS[:SUCCESS],
+        delete_date: (DateTime.current + 60.days).utc
+      )
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/lib/lighthouse/benefits_documents/upload_status_updater_spec.rb b/spec/lib/lighthouse/benefits_documents/upload_status_updater_spec.rb
index 982ab8e27f5..493118927cd 100644
--- a/spec/lib/lighthouse/benefits_documents/upload_status_updater_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/lighthouse/benefits_documents/upload_status_updater_spec.rb
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
   let(:lighthouse_document_upload) { create(:bd_evidence_submission) }
   let(:lighthouse_document_upload_timeout) { create(:bd_evidence_submission_timeout) }
   let(:past_date_time) { DateTime.new(1985, 10, 26) }
+  let(:current_date_time) { DateTime.now.utc }
 
   describe '#update_status' do
     shared_examples 'status updater' do |status, error_message = nil|
@@ -33,9 +34,42 @@
       end
 
       if error_message
-        it 'saves the error_message' do
-          expect { status_updater.update_status }.to change(lighthouse_document_upload, :error_message)
-            .to(error_message)
+        context "when there's an error" do
+          it 'saves the error_message' do
+            Timecop.freeze(current_date_time) do
+              expect { status_updater.update_status }.to change(lighthouse_document_upload, :error_message)
+                .to(error_message.to_s)
+            end
+          end
+
+          it 'updates status, failed_date, and acknowledgement_date' do
+            Timecop.freeze(current_date_time) do
+              expect { status_updater.update_status }
+                .to change(lighthouse_document_upload, :acknowledgement_date)
+                .from(nil)
+                .to((current_date_time + 30.days).utc)
+                .and change(lighthouse_document_upload, :failed_date)
+                .from(nil)
+                .to(current_date_time.utc)
+                .and change(lighthouse_document_upload, :upload_status)
+                .from(nil)
+                .to(BenefitsDocuments::Constants::UPLOAD_STATUS[:FAILED])
+            end
+          end
+        end
+      else # testing success status
+        context 'when completed successfully' do
+          it 'updates status, and delete_date' do
+            Timecop.freeze(current_date_time) do
+              expect { status_updater.update_status }
+                .to change(lighthouse_document_upload, :delete_date)
+                .from(nil)
+                .to((current_date_time + 60.days).utc)
+                .and change(lighthouse_document_upload, :upload_status)
+                .from(nil)
+                .to(BenefitsDocuments::Constants::UPLOAD_STATUS[:SUCCESS])
+            end
+          end
         end
       end
     end
@@ -73,7 +107,6 @@
   describe '#processing_timeout?' do
     shared_examples 'processing timeout' do |status, expected, expired|
       it "returns #{expected}" do
-        # Timecop.freeze(past_date_time.utc) do
         status_updater = described_class.new(
           {
             'status' => status
@@ -81,7 +114,6 @@
           expired ? lighthouse_document_upload_timeout : lighthouse_document_upload
         )
         expect(status_updater.processing_timeout?).to eq(expected)
-        # end
       end
     end