Should you hire a lawyer when dealing with the VA?

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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 lawyer 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.