The legal profession is extremely diverse, there are lawyers that defend clients in criminal cases and there are lawyers that help clients get compensation in the event they are injured as a result of negligence. A lawyer for VA disability claim is one that is accredited by the Department of Veterans Affairs, once accredited the lawyers conduct is regulated as are any fee agreements made between a veteran client and the lawyer.
In the past, a veteran could only engage the services of a lawyer after the Board of Veterans Appeals handed down their final decision. This is no longer the case, a disabled veteran can engage the services of a lawyer for VA disability claim any time after they have filed a notice that they disagree with the board’s decision.
Contingency agreement:
Unlike other lawyers, a VA disability lawyer does not charge a fee based on an hourly rate, the majority of cases are taken based on contingency. When a lawyer works on contingency, he or she agrees to get paid once your appeal has been won. In the event the case is unsuccessful and you lose your appeal, your lawyer does not get paid.
The fee agreement is reviewed by the DVA:
The fee agreement that you enter into with your lawyer for VA disability claim must be filed with the VA general counsel within 30 days of it being executed. The DVA reserves the right to review the fees and expenses of the lawyer.
Although the percentage of the award that the lawyer gets is not “cast in stone,” the VA considers a legal fee not exceeding 20 percent of the award to be reasonable, as such; this is the fee that most lawyers charge.
You may be asked to pay for minor out of pocket expenses such as the cost of obtaining records but these costs are negligible in comparison to the award an experienced lawyer for VA disability claim can get for you.
As a lawyer for VA disability claim works on contingency it makes little sense for you to purse an appeal on your own. You are invited to contact Jackson & MacNichol, Attorneys at Law.
