Not all lawyers can represent veterans that wish to claim disability benefits. Disability lawyers are regulated by the VA, they must be accredited and the fee arrangements that they make with clients must be reviewed by the VA as well. VA disability lawyers can be hired at any stage of the claim, in the past a claimant was only able to hire VA disability lawyers once the Administration issued their first decision. This ruling has been overturned and now a veteran has the right to engage a lawyer after a Notice of Disagreement has been filed.
VA disability lawyers work on contingency:
Unlike many other lawyers, VA disability lawyers only get paid when they win your disability benefits case on appeal. The lawyer receives a percentage of your back pay. You can be reasonably certain that when a disability lawyer agrees to take your case there is a very good chance of success.
Filing of the fee agreement:
Within 30 days of signing, the fee agreement between you and your disability lawyer must be filed with the Office of the General Council. The VA has the right to review the fees and expenses that will be charged. Any fee that does not exceed 20 percent of the back pay that is eventually granted is seen to be “reasonable.” Fees in excess of 20 percent can be reduced by the DVA.
You must hire VA disability lawyers that are accredited but that alone is not enough. It is important that you look for lawyers that are experienced in this area, when you are discussing your case there are a few pertinent questions that you should ask.
* What percentage of your practice is dedicated to veterans disability cases?
* How many successful cases similar to mine have you handled?
Choose your lawyer carefully, the entire process can take a considerable amount of time and you will want to work with someone you are comfortable with.
It is important that your VA disability lawyers are experienced in helping veterans get the disability benefits they deserve. You are invited to take full advantage of a free consultation offered by Jackson & MacNichol Law Offices.
