### Section A. Initial Considerations Regarding the Development Process

#### Overview

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| #          | > This section contains the following topic:            |
| #### In th |                                                         |
| is Section |                                                         |
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  Topic                   Topic Name              See Page

  1                       General Information on  1-A-2
                          VA's Duty to Assist     
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#### 1. General Information on VA's Duty to Assist

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| ##### In   | > This topic contains information on                    |
| troduction |                                                         |
|            | -   Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) obligation to  |
|            |     assist with claims                                  |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   VA efforts to obtain evidence to resolve a claim    |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   what constitutes ***reasonable*** ***efforts*** to  |
|            |     obtain non-Federal records                          |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   what constitutes reasonable efforts to obtain       |
|            |     Federal records                                     |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   claimant responsibilities in providing evidence,    |
|            |     and                                                 |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   circumstances when VA has no duty to assist.        |
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| ##### C    | > September 25, 2008                                    |
| hange Date |                                                         |
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| #####      | > The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is obligated  |
| a. VA's Ob | > by law to                                             |
| ligation t |                                                         |
| o Assist W | -   notify a claimant of what information or evidence   |
| ith Claims |     is necessary to substantiate his/her claim          |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   assist a claimant who files a substantially         |
|            |     complete claim in obtaining evidence to             |
|            |     substantiate his/her claim before making a decision |
|            |     on that claim, and                                  |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   grant every benefit supported by the law which is   |
|            |     consistent with the facts of the case, while        |
|            |     protecting the interests of the government per 38   |
|            |     CFR 3.103(a).                                       |
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1\. General Information on VA's Duty to Assist, Continued

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| ##### b    | > VA should                                             |
| . VA Effor |                                                         |
| ts to Obta | -   make every effort to request all the evidence       |
| in Evidenc |     needed to decide the claim based on the records     |
| e to Resol |     available when the claim is filed                   |
| ve a Claim |                                                         |
|            | -   develop additional evidence as it is identified by  |
|            |     the claimant and/or his/her representative          |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   make reasonable efforts to obtain non-governmental  |
|            |     records identified by the claimant if the claimant  |
|            |                                                         |
|            | ```{=html}                                              |
|            | <!-- -->                                                |
|            | ```                                                     |
|            | -   provides a release acceptable to the record holder, |
|            |     and                                                 |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   adequately identifies the records, and              |
|            |                                                         |
|            | ```{=html}                                              |
|            | <!-- -->                                                |
|            | ```                                                     |
|            | -   obtain Federal records.                             |
|            |                                                         |
|            | > ***Reference***: For more information on VA's duty to |
|            | > assist, see M21-1MR, Part I, 1.A.                     |
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| ####       | > "Reasonable efforts" to obtain non-Federal agency     |
| # c. What  | > records is considered as                              |
| Constitute |                                                         |
| s Reasonab | -   an initial request, and                             |
| le Efforts |                                                         |
|  to Obtain | -   at least one follow-up request.                     |
|  Non-Feder |                                                         |
| al records |                                                         |
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| ##### d. W | > VA will make as many requests as necessary to obtain  |
| hat Consti | > relevant records from a Federal department or agency. |
| tutes Reas | > Such efforts will cease only when VA concludes that   |
| onable Eff |                                                         |
| orts to Ob | -   the records sought do not exist, or                 |
| tain Feder |                                                         |
| al Records | -   further efforts to obtain the records would be      |
|            |     futile.                                             |
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| #####      | > The claimant is ultimately responsible for            |
| e. Claiman |                                                         |
| t Responsi | -   providing evidence, and                             |
| bilities i |                                                         |
| n Providin | -   insuring that non-governmental information is in    |
| g Evidence |     the record at the time of the decision.             |
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1\. General Information on VA's Duty to Assist, Continued

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| ##         | > VA will refrain from providing assistance when there  |
| ### f. Cir | > is no reasonable possibility that further assistance  |
| cumstances | > will substantiate the claim.                          |
|  When VA H | >                                                       |
| as No Duty | > ***Examples***:                                       |
|  to Assist |                                                         |
|            | -   The claimant's ineligibility for the benefits       |
|            |     sought because of the lack of qualifying service or |
|            |     failure to meet other legal eligibility             |
|            |     requirements, or                                    |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   a claim that clearly lacks merit.                   |
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