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Should I Hire a VA Appeal Lawyer?

Should I hire a VA appeal lawyer? It’s a question many veterans trying to receive VA compensation ask themselves. The simple answer is, it depends. Some veterans are able to handle an appeal on their own and others like to use a service officer. Still others are tired of fighting the VA and just want some help. If you hire an attorney, there are a few things you should know about how to make your time with him or her most effective.

If you are applying for VA benefits for the first time and have a straightforward case, you may never need an attorney. If you have a complicated case or are overwhelmed by the appeals process, hiring an attorney might be the best option for you. Even small mistakes in your claims file can result in a denial for benefits, and appealing can take years depending on the nature of the appeal and the assigned VA regional office.

Most veterans initially contact an attorney after they receive a Rating Decision denying their claims. However, some veterans prefer to take a stab at the appeal on their own. If you’re unsuccessful in appealing your case, you may hire an attorney at any point in the process.

Choosing the right lawyer for you, however, is a different question. When choosing an attorney, here are a few questions you can ask to ensure that you are in good hands:

  • Are you a VA-accredited attorney?
  • How long have you been practicing veterans’ law?
  • Why did you decide to practice veterans’ law?
  • When did you last attend veterans’ law training?
  • How many VA cases have you handled?
  • Will you represent me all the way through my appeal (all the way up through the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, Federal Circuit, or Supreme Court)?
  • Are you admitted to practice before the CAVC?

While you might assume that any lawyer has these credentials, you would be surprised at how many do not. We know how complicated and frustrating the VA disability benefits appeals process can be and we are in it for the long fight. This isn’t a new area of law to us, we’ve been appealing veterans’ disability claims for decades. If you’re asking yourself, “I don’t know if I need help. Should I hire a VA appeal lawyer? Will they actually be able to help me?” feel free to contact Berry Law for a free consultation.

Veterans Serving Veterans

At Berry Law, our attorneys are our most casualty-producing weapon. We don’t treat them like an M4 rifle in an infantry squad, we treat them as the M240 Bravo, the machine gun. Attorneys are the focal point of our fight; they are our heavy hitters. When we have that M240 Bravo in a firefight, we don’t want to take it off the line, we want to use it as much as possible to engage the enemy. We effectively use our resources to get our clients the VA disability benefits that they deserve.

Should I hire a VA appeal lawyer? Are you receiving all the veterans’ disability compensation you are entitled to receive by law? If you need assistance appealing a VA Rating Decision, please contact us.

Berry Law

The attorneys at Berry Law are dedicated to helping injured Veterans. With extensive experience working with VA disability claims, Berry Law can help you with your disability appeals.

This material is for informational purposes only. It does not create an attorney-client relationship between the Firm and the reader, and does not constitute legal advice. Legal advice must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case, and the contents of this blog are not a substitute for legal counsel.

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