The VA benefits system is intended to be claimant-friendly and pro-veteran.  This is in fact a cornerstone of the veterans’ benefits system.   For this reason, an advocate’s primary responsibility in this area is to ensure that VA meets its obligation to claimants.  Also unique to the VA benefits system is that a claimant may be represented by either an attorney or a non-attorney.

The bulk of non-attorneys are veterans’ service officers (VSOs) who work for state and national veterans’ service organizations, such as the American Legion or Disabled American Veterans.  This is a very good thing in that it increases the number of representatives available to assist VA claimants who are passionately dedicated to helping veterans and their families.  Sadly, however, although my experience reflects that attorneys share this dedication with their VSO counterparts, there nevertheless tends to exist a feeling of resentment between the two groups.

It is important, first and foremost, to remember that the choice of representative is entirely up to the claimant.  Each person must make their own decision regarding who will better serve their interests, goals and priorities. It is therefore important to know what the differences between the two groups are.

There is no question that the pros of hiring a VSO are many.  VSOs usually have offices located in the VA Regional Office of your state and, there are many more VSOs than attorneys nationwide, they are more locally available.  VSOs can assist claimants with more than just claims for VA disability compensation.  And, like attorneys, they must obtain accreditation from VA in order to assist veterans, and thus have a working knowledge of the regulations and statues.  Moreover, because VSOs are non-profit organizations, they receive funding from both private donations and government grants, and do not have to charge for their services.

Attorneys, on the other hand, have no choice but charge for their services if they wish to stay in business.  VSOs often point to this as a reason for not hiring an attorney.  However, private VA attorneys do not get paid unless they are successful, which creates a natural incentive to achieve success for their client.  It also means that attorneys must often work on a case for years, fueled by simple faith that their efforts will eventually bear fruit for both the client and the firm.

Attorneys are regulated by VA, and are also subject the rules of professional conduct in those states where they are licensed.  This means that they are required to stay current on the law, to ensure that all deadlines are met, to provide their clients with reasonable communication, to carry the necessary malpractice insurance, to comply with their continuing legal education requirements, and of course, to zealously advocate for their client.  Furthermore, if the Board has denied your claim(s), and you must file an appeal with the Court of Appeals for Veterans’ Claims (CAVC), a VSO cannot represent you before the Court without attorney supervision.  Therefore, you must either have an attorney, or proceed on your own.

The negative feelings that exist between attorneys and VSOs are regrettable as working together advantages both VA claimants and representatives.  VSOs have much to gain by using attorneys as a resource for general advice and consultation regarding legal strategy and understanding current case law.  In my experience, most attorneys are more than happy to provide this kind of assistance to a VSO who asks.   (Have you ever met an attorney who didn’t like to prove how much they know?)  Likewise, because attorneys are unavoidably dependent upon their ability to get paid for the work that they do, VA claimants are enormously benefited by a VSO’s ability to assist them without charge in those claims which will result in important, albeit non-monetary, benefits to the claimant.

The ultimate reality is that attorneys and VSOs share a common goal:  to obtain benefits for our VA claimants.  While the pervasive attitude is that we work at cross-purposes, this is simply not the case.   I personally believe that, little by little, this attitude will change and that we will eventually see each as the allies that we truly are.  This would be a win-win for everyone, a most importantly, the veterans and their families who need our help.

These events are simultaneously inspiring and sobering. And while we never cease to be saddened by the unfortunate circumstances that so many of our honorable veterans have found themselves in, we are often even more disturbed by the misinformation that many veterans and their family members receive about the VA disability benefits system.

First of all, it is always important to understand that, in order to receive an award of service-connected disability benefits, you must suffer from a disability which is related to your active military service. This means that it either began while you were in service, or that it was caused by something that you experienced during service. And in most cases, whether or not your disability is related to service is a question that must be answered by a medical treatment provider.

A couple of situations that are often a source of confusion are claims for non-service-connected pension and whether VA can take away benefits you have been awarded if you file an appeal.

If you are still waiting for your claim for service-connected benefits to be awarded, and you served during a period of war, you may be entitled to an award of non-service connected pension (NSP). You can apply for both at the same time. If you are awarded NSP, you can still pursue a claim for service-connected benefits. If you are a totally disabled veteran who served during a period of war, you should always ask for NSP at the same time you ask for service-connected benefits. If you are awarded NSP, this will at least get you some initial monthly income. And, as we all know, something is better than nothing.

And, if you are awarded VA disability benefits, but you are not given a disability rating that accurately reflects the severity of your condition, you have the right to appeal that decision. Contrary to what many veterans are told, VA cannot take your benefits away, or reduce your disability rating, just because you file an appeal. VA cannot penalize you just because you exercise your right to disagree with its decision. If someone tells you otherwise, they are wrong. The only instance in which you should not appeal your claim is when no additional benefits are available. For instance, if you have been given the highest disability rating under the law, or you been awarded the earliest effective date for your award of benefits. Unless there is no legal basis or evidence that supports a higher rating or an earlier effective date, you have every right to disagree with VA’s decision and request an appeal to either the Board of Veterans Appeals or the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.

The only caveat is that this is the best time to find an attorney to help you. This is the point at which you will need someone who knows what the law says, and who can review your file to determine whether VA complied with its obligation and that it correctly applied the law to the facts of your case. Whether you use ABS or someone else, you should look for an attorney who has experience with the VA disability benefits system, and how it works.

Be sure to click through and read about a young Veteran who is hitting the books.

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1. Vestibulum in mauris semper tortor interdum ultrices.
2. Sed vel lorem et justo laoreet bibendum. Donec dictum.
3. Etiam massa libero, lacinia at, commodo in, tincidunt a, purus.
4. Praesent volutpat eros quis enim blandit tincidunt.
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An Ordered List

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2. Sed vel lorem et justo laoreet bibendum. Donec dictum.
3. Etiam massa libero, lacinia at, commodo in, tincidunt a, purus.
4. Praesent volutpat eros quis enim blandit tincidunt.
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Level 1 Heading

Level 2 Heading

Level 3 Heading

Level 4 Heading

Level 5 Heading

Level 6 Heading

An Unordered List

• Vestibulum in mauris semper tortor interdum ultrices.
• Sed vel lorem et justo laoreet bibendum. Donec dictum.
• Etiam massa libero, lacinia at, commodo in, tincidunt a, purus.
• Praesent volutpat eros quis enim blandit tincidunt.
• Aenean eu libero nec lectus ultricies laoreet. Donec rutrum, nisi vel egestas ultrices, ipsum urna sagittis libero, vitae vestibulum dui dolor vel velit.

Image with no alignment

Nulla sagittis convallis arcu. Sed sed nunc. Curabitur consequat. Quisque metus enim, venenatis fermentum, mollis in, porta et, nibh. Duis vulputate elit in elit. Mauris dictum libero id justo. Fusce in est. Sed nec diam. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas. Quisque semper nibh eget nibh. Sed tempor. Fusce erat.

An Ordered List

1. Vestibulum in mauris semper tortor interdum ultrices.
2. Sed vel lorem et justo laoreet bibendum. Donec dictum.
3. Etiam massa libero, lacinia at, commodo in, tincidunt a, purus.
4. Praesent volutpat eros quis enim blandit tincidunt.
5. Aenean eu libero nec lectus ultricies laoreet. Donec rutrum, nisi vel egestas ultrices, ipsum urna sagittis libero, vitae vestibulum dui dolor vel velit.

Proin vestibulum. Ut ligula. Nullam sed dolor id odio volutpat pulvinar. Integer a leo. In et eros at neque pretium sagittis. Sed sodales lorem a ipsum suscipit gravida. Ut fringilla placerat arcu. Phasellus imperdiet. Mauris ac justo et turpis pharetra vulputate.

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Proin vestibulum. Ut ligula. Nullam sed dolor id odio volutpat pulvinar. Integer a leo. In et eros at neque pretium sagittis. Sed sodales lorem a ipsum suscipit gravida. Ut fringilla placerat arcu. Phasellus imperdiet. Mauris ac justo et turpis pharetra vulputate.

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