Compare · official rules · checked October 11, 2026 · we do not file

VA claim help options compared: VSO, claims agent, attorney, consultant, and self-help software

You can file a VA claim yourself, ask a free accredited Veterans Service Organization (VSO) to help, hire an accredited claims agent or attorney after VA decides an initial claim, or use software to organize your own records. An unaccredited consultant is not a representative. This page is written by Veterans Benefits AI, which is the self-help software in the table. Free accredited VSOs exist, and VA.gov says their help on your benefit claims is always free.

Last checked October 11, 2026. Not legal or medical advice. Not a VA decision.

Side by side

The short answers are in the table. The fee rules, including the exceptions, are under it. Checked October 11, 2026, against the VA.gov pages, eCFR, and the 2023 edition of the U.S. Code on GovInfo.

Kind of help	Who can file or represent you	What they may charge, and when	Where to check
You, filing yourself	You can file your own claim on VA.gov. You do not appoint yourself as a representative.	VA does not charge a fee to file. You still pay nothing to a representative if you do not use one.	No accreditation search. You are the claimant.
Accredited VSO representative	Can help you file a claim or request a decision review, and can communicate with VA for you, after you appoint the organization on VA Form 21-22.	Always free for help on your VA benefit claims, VA.gov says. 38 CFR 14.636(b) says a recognized organization and its accredited representatives, when acting as such, are not permitted to receive fees.	VA.gov accredited-representative search, or the VA Office of General Counsel search, type VSO Representative.
Accredited claims agent	Can represent you before VA after you appoint them on VA Form 21-22a. VA.gov says a claims agent must pass a written test on VA laws and procedures to be accredited.	May charge a fee only after VA has decided your initial claim, VA has a written fee agreement you both signed, and VA has the 21-22a. See the fee section for the 20 percent and 33 and 1/3 percent presumptions, and for the exceptions.	Office of General Counsel accreditation search, type Claims Agent.
Accredited attorney	Can represent you before VA after you appoint them on VA Form 21-22a. VA.gov says an accredited attorney must be a member in good standing of at least one state bar.	Same fee timing as an accredited claims agent. Fees are allowed only after the initial decision, with a signed fee agreement and a 21-22a on file. The reasonableness presumptions are the same.	Office of General Counsel accreditation search, type Attorney.
Unaccredited consultant or company	Not one of the three accredited types. They cannot be appointed on VA Form 21-22 or 21-22a to represent you before VA.	VA News (August 9, 2024) says it is unlawful for anyone to charge a fee for preparing an initial claim. Do not pay an unaccredited person or company to prepare one.	If the person or company is not in the Office of General Counsel accreditation search, they are not accredited.
Veterans Benefits AI (self-help software)	Does not file and does not represent you. Not a VSO, a claims agent, an attorney, or an accredited representative. You, or someone you appoint, file.	14-day free trial, then $9.99/month or $107.99/year. Cancel anytime. Never a cut of your VA pay.	Not listed in the accreditation search. The price is on the pricing page. Never a cut of VA pay.

Free accredited VSOs exist

VA.gov says an accredited VSO representative can help you gather evidence, file a claim, or request a decision review, and can communicate with VA for you. The same pages say those services on your VA benefit claims are always free. Veterans use VSO representatives more often than other representatives on initial claims.

You usually appoint the organization, on VA Form 21-22, not one employee. You can change or cancel a representative later. VA does not assign one to you automatically.

Veterans Benefits AI does not appoint a VSO and does not replace one. Many people use software to get their records in order, then meet a free VSO.

When an agent or attorney may charge a fee

Two official texts control. They are not the same length. Read both if you are about to sign a fee agreement.

38 U.S.C. 5904(c)(1), as printed in the 2023 edition of the U.S. Code on GovInfo, says that except as provided in paragraph (4), a fee may not be charged, allowed, or paid for services of agents and attorneys provided before the date you are given notice of the agency of original jurisdiction's initial decision under 38 U.S.C. 5104. That limit does not apply to services in a court case. Paragraph (4) of that subsection allows a reasonable fee in a case about a home loan under chapter 37, with a written agreement filed with VA. The Office of the Law Revision Counsel site was down on October 11, 2026, so this cite is the GovInfo 2023 edition, not a later slip law.

38 U.S.C. 5904(a)(5) in that same edition says VA may set reasonable limits on fees, and that a fee that does not exceed 20 percent of the past-due benefits awarded on a claim shall be presumed reasonable.

38 CFR 14.636 is the regulation, checked on eCFR on October 11, 2026. Paragraph (b) says only accredited agents and attorneys may receive fees for representation. Recognized organizations, including their accredited representatives when acting for the organization, are not permitted to receive fees. Paragraph (c) is the timing rule for claims in the modernized review system: except for paragraph (d), agents and attorneys may charge for representation provided after VA has issued notice of an initial decision, if that notice was issued on or after the modernized review system began, and if the power-of-attorney rules in 38 CFR 14.631 and the fee-agreement rules in paragraph (g) are met. The regulation defines which later decisions still count as an initial decision, including some supplemental claims, and it keeps a separate timing rule for older cases. Paragraph (d) has two exceptions: a reasonable fee in a chapter 37 loan case, and payment by a disinterested third party who does not gain financially if the claim is granted. A third-party payment under that exception may not depend on the claim being granted.

38 CFR 14.636(f) is the reasonableness presumption. A fee that does not exceed 20 percent of past-due benefits is presumed reasonable if the agent or attorney kept representing you through the date of the decision that awarded the benefits. A fee that exceeds 33 and 1/3 percent of past-due benefits is presumed unreasonable. Either presumption can be challenged with clear and convincing evidence under the factors in paragraph (e). Paragraph (g) says the fee agreement must be in writing and signed by you and the agent or attorney.

VA's accredited-representative FAQ states the same gate in plain words: an accredited attorney or claims agent can charge a fee only after VA made a decision on your initial claim, VA received a fee agreement signed by both of you, and VA received VA Form 21-22a. The FAQ also says some attorneys and agents do not charge for help on an initial claim, and that most offer paid work after the initial decision.

Unaccredited consultants

VA recognizes three kinds of representatives: VSO representatives, attorneys, and claims agents. Anyone else offering to prepare a claim is not accredited, even if they use a title like consultant, coach, or claim company.

VA News published this warning on August 9, 2024, and the page was still up on October 11, 2026: you should never pay a fee to file an initial claim, and it is unlawful for anyone to charge a fee for preparing an initial claim. Only accredited attorneys, claims agents, and VSO representatives can lawfully assist with an initial benefits claim. Only accredited attorneys and claims agents may charge a fee for later work such as a supplemental claim, a higher-level review, or a Board appeal.

VA's FAQ says that if someone is not accredited and they try to help you prepare, present, or prosecute a VA benefit claim, you can file a complaint. Check the accreditation search before you pay anyone or give them your records. This page does not name companies and does not grade them.

Where self-help software fits

Veterans Benefits AI is software for organizing records you upload, reading the published rating rules, and reviewing a statement you wrote. 14-day free trial, then $9.99/month or $107.99/year. Cancel anytime. Never a cut of your VA pay. The price is flat. It is never a cut of your benefits, your back pay, or a later award.

You or an accredited representative file it. We do not file, and we are not part of VA. We are not an accredited representative, a law firm, or a claims agent. We do not speak to VA for you. A free accredited VSO can.

No tool can promise a rating, a decision, or a dollar amount. We do not.

Common questions

Is there free help with a VA claim?

Yes. Accredited VSO representatives help with claims at no cost. VA.gov says their services on your VA benefit claims are always free. You can also file yourself on VA.gov at no cost.

Who can represent me before VA?

An accredited VSO representative, an accredited attorney, or an accredited claims agent, after you appoint them. You can also handle the claim yourself. An unaccredited consultant cannot represent you. Check the VA Office of General Counsel accreditation search before you appoint anyone.

When can a claims agent or attorney charge a fee?

After VA notifies you of the initial decision on the claim, and only with a written fee agreement and a VA Form 21-22a on file. 38 U.S.C. 5904 and 38 CFR 14.636 state that limit, with narrow exceptions such as a chapter 37 home loan and payment by a disinterested third party. A fee at or under 20 percent of past-due benefits is presumed reasonable in the cases those texts name. A fee over 33 and 1/3 percent of past-due benefits is presumed unreasonable under 38 CFR 14.636(f).

Can someone charge me to prepare my first claim?

VA News says it is unlawful for anyone to charge a fee for preparing an initial claim. VSO help on that claim is free. Do not pay an unaccredited consultant or company to prepare it.

What does Veterans Benefits AI charge, and does it file?

14-day free trial, then $9.99/month or $107.99/year. Cancel anytime. Never a cut of your VA pay. We do not file and we do not represent you. We are not accredited. The price is never a share of your VA pay.

Official sources

Fetched October 11, 2026.

Veterans Benefits AI · veteransbenefitsai.com · MAOMA Enterprises LLC. Veterans Benefits AI (veteransbenefitsai.com) is not affiliated with veteransbenefits.ai, any VA GPT or chatbot, or the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.