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VETERANS CHRONICLE
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Should you hire a lawyer when dealing with the VA? By Jim Absher MILITARY.COM
You may have heard horror stories about veterans have difficulty getting benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs. You may have also heard the time-honored phrase "get yourself a lawyer before you deal with the VA" from your friends. Should you hire a lawyer? We attempt to answer those questions here. Of course, that's a personal choice, but before you go and hire a lawyer to help with your VA claim, there are a few things to know. First, the only reason to hire an attorney is if you believe that they can help you get a better result from the VA on a disability claim that has been denied, or not rated high enough for your liking. That’s it. There is no other good reason. Secondly, current law prevents a law-
yer from charging you for any assistance in filing an initial claim for VA disability benefits. The lawyer can only charge you for help when you challenge a VA decision on your disability claim. So, most likely, a reputable lawyer won't even touch your case until you have filed for disability compensation and gotten a decision back from the VA that you want to appeal. Most lawyers won't work for free. Any lawyer who says they will help you file a claim and then charge you for it is breaking the law. If you do need help filing your claim, for whatever reason, you should contact a Veteran Service Organization for free help. You can find local Veteran Service Organizations in “How Can I Get Help?” on page 5.
Friday, June 18, 2021
