A criminal has a right to an attorney. WHY DOESN'T THE VETERAN???

[John of Phoenix]

This was brought to my attention by a fellow vet. Oddly, vets cannot hire an attorney to help them file a claim. If the claim is denied, fine, hire all the lawyers you want, but not before.

Justice delayed is justice denied.


Know a Veteran? Disabled Veteran? Know a Serviceman?
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This should not be a political issue it should be a bipartisan issue, Political party affiliation should not be holding this bill back.
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If you have already signed our petition and you know of others that would want to help pass it on.
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11/17/2003: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
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This Bill is sitting in the Committee on Veterans' Benefits, since January 2004.
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This is a critical issue for disabled veterans, there is a petiton attached, take a* few moments sign them and pass them on to everyone you know, it is a petition allowing veterans to hire an attorney to represent them for their VA claims.
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It is only right, that veterans have the same rights as citizens.* Even the IRS allows attorney representation for individuals.
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Veterans are both individuals and citizens.
They are entitled to Due Process, as a citizen.
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This is the petition site:
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/helpvets/petition.html
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H.R.3492
Title: To amend title 38, United States Code, to allow claimants for benefits under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to pay fees for attorney services during any stage of the Department of Veterans Affairs claims process.
Sponsor: Rep Franks, Trent [AZ-2] (introduced 11/17/2003)*****
Cosponsors: 12

Latest Major Action: 1/6/04

ALSO JOIN IN THE ONLINE LIVE MARCH for this petition on* 05/24/2004 at 01:30:00 PM* U.S. Eastern
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This is all free, just take some time to post this information, email your friends, family and colleagues.*

We need to make a difference for veterans

Thanks for your help.
Click the link to help a disabled vet.

[Donn]

I've had an attorney pushing a disability claim for me for over 30 years. He's doing it on the come, doesn't get paid unless I do.

[John of Phoenix]

Don't let Foote know. You know how he gets when people mess with the government. ;)

Some interesting comments here.

http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?helpvets&1

Only 365 signatures so far. :(

[Wiley Baggins]

The American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars will provide assistance at no charge.

[George Roberts]

John Teetsel ---

That bill has nothing to do with hiring. It has to do with paying.

The VA should be paying veterans not their lawyers.

[John of Phoenix]

You're correct George, "pay vs. hire", but not many lawyers are going to be like Donn's and work for free on the chance they'll get paid years in the future.

As the law stands now, a vet cannot pay an attorney before his claim is denied. It’s a complex, time consuming process to file a claim, 30 years in Donn’s case. Why not allow the vet access to legal help early in the process? Sure, the vet has to pay the attorney out of pocket, but if he gets benefits years sooner, isn’t that more just than waiting years to have the claim denied, THEN hiring an attorney and going through the process all over again?

The bill isn't about the VA paying the attorney, it about allowing the vet access to legal advice early in the process.



H. R. 3492
To amend title 38, United States Code, to allow claimants for benefits under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to pay fees for attorney services during any stage of the Department of Veterans Affairs claims process.

"any stage" is the operative.

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d108:h.r.03492:

[George Roberts]

John Teetsel ---

Perhaps you are not aware that many lawyers make a good living by filing trivial paperwork and then reaping the benefits.

I don't know how difficult the VA is to work with now. I know that in the late 60's the process was fair.

If veterans start to hire lawyer's to fill out simple forms, veterans will want increases in benefits to pay for the lawyer's fees.

It might be more cost effective to simplify the VA claims process. That might not be necessary since the AL and VFW will do the initial work for free.

[Wiley Baggins]

Originally posted by George Roberts:
John Teetsel ---

Perhaps you are not aware that many lawyers make a good living by filing trivial paperwork and then reaping the benefits.

I don't know how difficult the VA is to work with now. I know that in the late 60's the process was fair.

If veterans start to hire lawyer's to fill out simple forms, veterans will want increases in benefits to pay for the lawyer's fees.

It might be more cost effective to simplify the VA claims process. That might not be necessary since the AL and VFW will do the initial work for free.George Roberts,

The triviality of paperwork is in the eye of the beholder (or perhaps the mind of the pen holder). The fact that the 'Legion and the VFW exist and provide services does not vitiate the reasonable nature of a desire to have access to representation during the process of filing/pursuing a claim. That vets "will want increases in benefits to pay for the lawyer's fees" seems specious, at best.