The question that needs to be answered is, why should the process be so complicated and laborious that it would require a lawyer? These men and women deserve our government’s attention and it sickens me to think that there are relatively few caseworkers to help them and a veritable army (no pun intended) of social and case workers out there for so many more entitlement programs for people who are less inclined to deserve entitlements in the first place.
I know firsthand that establishing the link between a disability and a service related incident is the primary reason it can be a long process for a veteran to obtain benefits. More recently released Vets with obvious injuries are generally not in need of an attorney. But when it gets into psychological problems or when a significant amount of time has passed until symptoms or problems emerge then detailed medical records and/or documented service incidences of trauma or exposure to adverse environmental conditions is needed. I’m not sure how an attorney will give the Vet a better chance at establishing these links, but an attorney will probably make the wheels squeak a lot louder than just the Vet representing him/herself. Are they worth 20%? Perhaps the Vets should be allowed to decide.
The question that needs to be answered is, why should the process be so complicated and laborious that it would require a lawyer? These men and women deserve our government’s attention and it sickens me to think that there are relatively few caseworkers to help them and a veritable army (no pun intended) of social and case workers out there for so many more entitlement programs for people who are less inclined to deserve entitlements in the first place.
I know firsthand that establishing the link between a disability and a service related incident is the primary reason it can be a long process for a veteran to obtain benefits. More recently released Vets with obvious injuries are generally not in need of an attorney. But when it gets into psychological problems or when a significant amount of time has passed until symptoms or problems emerge then detailed medical records and/or documented service incidences of trauma or exposure to adverse environmental conditions is needed. I’m not sure how an attorney will give the Vet a better chance at establishing these links, but an attorney will probably make the wheels squeak a lot louder than just the Vet representing him/herself. Are they worth 20%? Perhaps the Vets should be allowed to decide.