Transcript:
00:00:00
So we get asked a lot, you know, do I really need a VA attorney for my claim or my appeal or can I just do it myself or can I just use a free veteran service organization? And so I want to kind of address what attorneys can be helpful for maybe when you don’t need an attorney.
00:00:18
So first and foremost, VA law is ever changing and it’s complex, especially with the appeals system that we have in place now. There are a lot of forms. There are very strict appeal deadlines. And if you’re not on top of it, using the wrong form, missing an appeal deadline can be absolutely detrimental to your claim. It could end your claim.
00:00:38
Also, you know, frankly, I do this all day, every day, right? I am constantly looking at claims files, and sometimes there are issues that jump out at me that the veteran never even considered filing a claim for, didn’t even know they could file a claim for. So that ability to issue spot and maybe find some claims that you didn’t even know you qualified for, that’s another advantage to having somebody with the training and the education and experience in your corner.
00:01:04
We also know, frankly, that represented veterans, either by a accredited attorney or a non-attorney representative who’s also accredited, you have better outcomes. You have higher approval rates. You have higher disability ratings.
00:01:19
It’s also fairly low risk. I work on contingency. So if I don’t win your case, I don’t win any money and you don’t owe me anything. So from that perspective, I’m motivated to win your case. If I don’t, you’re not out anything. But definitely that’s the motivation on my end.
00:01:38
So let’s say that, considering all of these things, you decide, hey, I think I really want some help with my appeal, my claim. I want to get an accredited VA disability attorney or representative. What are some things you should look for when you’re trying to hire that person or find that person? First of all, you’ve probably heard me say the word accredited over and over.
00:01:58
The VA has to give that representative or attorney permission to represent veterans in front of the VA. That’s what the accreditation process is. That means I have been background checked. That means that my fee structure has been approved by the Office of General Counsel as being legal.
00:02:14
So, you know, you want to look for that accredited representative, accredited attorney. If you see the words consultant, advisor, disclaimers that, you know, refer to a lack of accreditation, that’s a red flag. That means that they are not operating under the accreditation process that the VA has set out.
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