38 U.S.C. §§ 5901-5905•38 CFR §§ 14.626-14.637

Connect with Accredited Representation

Locate recognized Veterans Service Organizations, accredited claims agents, or accredited attorneys authorized by law to assist with your claim.

Official Reference:VA Form 21-22 (VSO) or VA Form 21-22a (Attorney/Agent)

Connect with Accredited Representation

Grounded in Title 38 U.S.C. §§ 5901-5905 and 38 CFR Part 14. Federal law strictly regulates who may assist veterans with disability claims. Learn the differences between accredited representatives, official appointment forms, and statutory fee protections.

Neutral Federal Directory Handoff: RatingScope does not maintain an independent representative directory, rank advocates, charge referral fees, or endorse specific providers. All representative searches route exclusively to the official Department of Veterans Affairs Office of General Counsel search registry. RatingScope collects zero location or ZIP code data.

Select a representative category to inspect legal standards and appointment procedures:

Appointment Forms & Statutory Fee Protections

Understanding how legal representation is formalized and how federal law protects veterans from predatory fees.

Appointment Forms

VA Form 21-22 vs VA Form 21-22a

VA Form 21-22: Used to appoint a recognized Veterans Service Organization (VSO). Executing this form gives the VSO power of attorney (POA) to access your claims folder and represent you before VA.

VA Form 21-22a: Used to appoint an individual accredited claims agent or accredited attorney. It establishes the formal attorney-client or agent-client relationship on the VA record.

Fee Regulation

Statutory Fee Rules (38 U.S.C. § 5904; 38 CFR § 14.636)

Representation on initial claims: VA-accredited attorneys and claims agents generally may not charge a claimant for representation provided before VA issues notice of the initial decision, subject to the applicable statutory/regulatory exceptions. VA-recognized VSO representation on benefit claims is free of charge.

Fee reasonableness presumptions: Fees not exceeding 20% of past-due benefits are presumed reasonable when the regulatory requirements are satisfied. Fees exceeding 33 1/3% are presumed unreasonable. These are rebuttable presumptions under 38 CFR § 14.636(f).

Warning: Be cautious of unaccredited commercial entities charging upfront fees or demanding percentages of future monthly compensation.

Representation Action Checklist

Steps for verifying accreditation and establishing formal representation. Checklist selections below are educational and remain ephemeral in your browser tab. They are not saved to persistent storage.

Search the official VA Office of General Counsel directory38 U.S.C. § 5902; 38 CFR § 14.628

Only work with representatives officially accredited by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Recognized VSO assistance is provided free of charge.

Official VA Accreditation Search

Execute official appointment of representative38 CFR § 14.631

Formalize your representation using VA Form 21-22 (for Veterans Service Organizations) or VA Form 21-22a (for accredited agents and attorneys).

Avoid unaccredited consultants charging unauthorized fees38 U.S.C. § 5901, § 5905

Federal law strictly prohibits unaccredited individuals or companies from charging fees to prepare or file an initial VA disability compensation claim.

Official Federal Accreditation Resources

VA OGC Accreditation Search Tool Get Help from an Accredited Representative on VA.gov State Veterans Affairs Directory

RatingScope is not an accredited representative, does not provide legal representation before the Department of Veterans Affairs, and does not charge or collect representation fees.

Non-Decisional Educational Analysis

This roadmap provides educational analysis based on published Title 38 CFR regulations. RatingScope does not adjudicate claims, assign disability ratings, or guarantee benefits. Official disability ratings and decisions are determined exclusively by the Department of Veterans Affairs.