It is illegal for attorneys to collect fees based on future benefits. For instance, an individual successfully raises their disability rating from 30% to 70% and their attorney attempts to collect a portion of this award for three years into the future. This is prohibited under the law. Rather, the attorney must charge a contingency fee based on the retroactive benefits recovered. In other words, attorneys are paid using a percentage of the past-due benefits awarded to their clients. It is also important to note that Veteran Affairs will consider whether the fees collected by the attorney are considered reasonable.