Source: https://community.hadit.com/topic/63329-have-had-attorney-less-than-two-months-owe-fees/page/2/
Timestamp: 2020-02-24 06:03:12
Document Index: 85763374

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 14', '§ 14', '§14', '§14', '§14', '§14', '§ 14', '§ 14']

Have Had Attorney Less Than Two Months, Owe Fees? - Page 2 - Hiring an Attorney Discussions on S. 3421 - VA Disability Compensation Benefits Forums - HadIt.com Veterans
Thank you all. It would have most likely been better then to wait until after the appeal decision to hire an attorney.
I have no problem paying someone for a claim they helped win, but to pay them for something they had no assistance with seems assinine.
Edited to correct phones auto correcting.
Maybe this will help ya understand the attorney fees a little better!
Generally, no individual or organization may charge a fee for help with filing an initial application for benefits. There is only one exception to this rule and that is under the third-party exemption in 38 CFR § 14.636 (d). We have included this citation in this paper. The requirements under this exception are very limiting and very demanding. No one that we know of, who is charging a fee, thinking he or she is operating under this exception, is doing it legally. Here are the ways they are violating this law. (In most cases those who are operating illegally are engaging in all 4 of these unlawful activities.)
(4) In some cases, the paying of the fee is contingent upon a percentage of the amount of the claim being approved -- this is not legal.
If you are working with someone who is not operating legally as outlined above, you should not continue to use that person's services. If you yourself are operating in a manner that is not in accord with the conditions outlined above, you must stop doing that. You're not legal. Not only could unauthorized people get a notice to cease and desist but in some cases there could be fines or legal action involved as well. It's not worth it.
38 CFR § 14.636 Payment of fees for representation by agents and attorneys in proceedings before Agencies of Original Jurisdiction and before the Board of Veterans' Appeals.
(b) Who may charge fees for representation. Only accredited agents and attorneys may receive fees from claimants or appellants for their services provided in connection with representation. Recognized organizations (including their accredited representatives when acting as such) and individuals recognized under §14.630 of this part are not permitted to receive fees. An agent or attorney who may also be an accredited representative of a recognized organization may not receive such fees unless he or she has been properly designated as an agent or attorney in accordance with §14.631 of this part in his or her individual capacity as an accredited agent or attorney.
© Circumstances under which fees may be charged. Except as noted in paragraph ©(2) and in paragraph (d) of this section, agents and attorneys may charge claimants or appellants for representation provided: after an agency of original jurisdiction has issued a decision on a claim or claims, including any claim to reopen under 38 CFR 3.156 or for an increase in rate of a benefit; a Notice of Disagreement has been filed with respect to that decision on or after June 20, 2007; and the agent or attorney has complied with the power of attorney requirements in §14.631 and the fee agreement requirements in paragraph (g) of this section.
(1) Agents and attorneys may charge fees for representation provided with respect to a request for revision of a decision of an agency of original jurisdiction under 38 U.S.C. 5109A or the Board of Veterans' Appeals under 38 U.S.C. 7111 based on clear and unmistakable error if a Notice of Disagreement was filed with respect to the challenged decision on or after June 20, 2007, and the agent or attorney has complied with the power of attorney requirements in §14.631 and the fee agreement requirements in paragraph (g) of this section.
The agent or attorney was retained not later
No offense, but you're an adult and you agreed to those terms. Next time don't sign so quickly!!! Take a day or two to think it over. Check and see if the attorney is certified/authorized by the VA, to represent veterans claims, at the VA, and if not, you might be able to get out of it. jmo
GIVE UNTO CEASAR WHAT IS CEASARS AND GIVE UNTO GOD WHAT IS GODS.
If a person works for you they should be compensated .. if you made an aggreement, honor it.
There's nothing wrong with paying people for working for you and I agree as I stated above that they should be compensated. But if they were just hired and did nothing to help with the current claim that pays them possibly $60,000 in pack pay they did nothing to achieve, I don't see how that would be considered fair. It would be fair to pay them what would be appropriate for ordering a c-file, filing a headache claim with is not yet in motion, and where else they have done in the 1 month+ since being hired.
We hired them to help win a back pay. If they don't help win that back pay, how come they should be compensated an extreme amount for no relevant work associate with their big pay day?
When you hired this attorney and he/she is legal with the VA Rules and you appointed him/her POA to help you with this claim and you agreed to pay if you win...
Then your bound to pay him/her upon winning your Award and if this means your Appeal 20 years old or your first initials claim and this attorney wins it all for you then yes you should pay him even if it means some things he never did the point is he won and you get all this BACK RETRO, then he in entitled to the 20%,
...I understand what your meaning is and it don't seem fair but that's the way it is...so basically when you hire an Accredited Attorney, &give him/her POA and he wins your claim he/she in entitled to the 20% retro.
Maybe this will help understand about attorney fees a little better!
VA Office of General Counsel Website -- Frequently Asked Questions about Accreditation
http://www4.va.gov/ogc/accred_faqs.asp
Question: In a law office with attorneys and paralegals working under the supervision of a single Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) accredited attorney, who needs to apply for VA accreditation using a VA Form 21a?
VA regulations allow interns, paralegals, and law students to assist in preparation, presentation, and prosecution of claims for VA benefits of claimants for benefits, but only under the direct supervision of the attorney of record, and with the specific written consent of the claimant. 38 C.F.R. § 14.629©(3). VA does not accredit these individuals. With the written consent of the claimant, attorneys affiliated or associated with the attorney of record may assist in the representation of the claimant, and may do so without the requirement for direct supervision by the attorney of record. 38 C.F.R. § 14.629©(2).
Question: If an attorney’s practice consists solely of advising clients that they might be eligible for benefits and referring them to a recognized service organization or accredited agent or attorney, does the attorney need to be accredited?
Response: No. As a general rule, an attorney’s practice of advising veterans about VA benefits not involving a specific claim does not require accreditation. Aside from regulating admission to practice before the Department, VA’s accreditation authority is generally limited to regulating the conduct of individuals in assisting claimants with the preparation, presentation, and prosecution of claims for benefits and reviewing the fees and expenses charged for representation in proceedings before the Department. Reviewing a veteran’s records, researching available VA benefits, and advising a veteran as to potential benefits before he or she decides to file for a benefit is not part of the preparation, presentation, or prosecution of a claim, and as such, is outside VA’s accreditation authority. Accordingly, accreditation is not required for such consultation by attorneys.
Response: Yes. Our intent is that attorneys will apply for accreditation for any new representation as indicated by the filing of a VA Form 21-22a after June 22, 2008. The claim and a VA Form 21-22a may be filed while the accreditation application is pending. VA Regional Offices (RO) have been instructed to accept such filings and communicate to the attorney the need for accreditation. Although representation without accreditation is not permissible, the RO will hold the VA Form 21-22a (permitting the claimant to have his or her choice of representation) until the accreditation application has been processed.
Attorneys who initiated representation on a claim prior to the June 23, 2008 effective date of the new rules, need not seek accreditation for representation provided on that claim. Initiation of a representation before the effective date of the new rules would be indicated by appointment on a VA Form 21-22a or an attorney’s letterhead
Edited July 13, 2015 by Buck52