STEP 3: Begin Your Practice
Veterans Benefits Manual

2008 Edition

Editors:
Barton F. Stichman
Ronald B. Abrams

$135*
Softbound, 2,050 pages
ISBN 978-1-4224-5172-4

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This exhaustive manual is an indispensable guide for advocates who help veterans and their families obtain benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Written by practicing attorneys at the National Veterans Legal Services Program, this manual contains valuable insight and analysis from a team of experts at the forefront of veterans law. Use their first-hand experience fighting for veterans' rights and their insider's view of the Department of Veterans Affairs to obtain the benefits your client earned.

User-friendly, well-indexed, and packed with practical information, it includes sample forms and briefs, flowcharts, checklists, citations to legal authorities, and other documents designed to streamline the claims process and save you and your veteran client valuable time.

The Veterans Benefits Manual contains dozens of effective, battle-tested advocacy tips for veterans and advocates, along with all the latest developments in veterans law.


What's New In 2008 Edition

• Information about the new VA regulations governing the behavior of attorneys, agents and service officers;
  
  
• New information and advocacy advice on how to obtain service connection for the residuals of traumatic brain injury (TBI);
  
  
• Discussion of the proposed VA rules for determining the appropriate disability rating for TBI;
  
  
• Updated information and advice on how to obtain military service records;
  
  
• Analysis of VA's new rules governing when and how an attorney or agent may charge a VA claimant a fee for representation before the VA;
  
  
• Advice on how to avoid losing your VA accreditation as a service officer because you submitted a frivolous claim or argument;
  
  
• Information about VA's new Expedited Claims Adjudication initiative, a pilot program to streamline the appeals process and put the veteran on the fast track from initial claim to adjudication;
  
  
• New advice on when it is too late to file a notice of disagreement;
  
  
• When VA may be obligated to obtain a medical opinion to substantiate a dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC) claim;
  
  
• Analysis of the sweeping rule changes made by the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims governing how the record is created, and e-filing;
  
  
• The new legislation allowing some veterans to receive both military longevity or disability retirement pay and VA disability compensation;
  
  
• The Veterans Health Administration's new responsibilities to veterans with TBI, including its "Traumatic Brain Injury Veterans Health Registry";
  
  
• New procedures to help service members have an easier transition from DOD to VA health care;
  
  
• New rules providing for an extension of enhanced health care eligibility for combat veterans;
  
  
• New rules allowing VA to provide health care to family members of recovering service members receiving care at a VA medical facility; and
  
  
• The revised VA travel reimbursement rates that apply to some veterans receiving VA health care, including those traveling for treatment of a service-connected disability.

Summary Table of Contents
Ch 1 Introduction and how to use this manual

Part I: Disability benefits for veterans
Ch 2 Veterans basic eligibility for VA disability benefits
Ch 3 Compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities
Ch 4 Compensation for injury or death caused by VA health care or other specified activities
Ch 5 Setting, increasing, or reducing a veteran’s service-connected disability rating
Ch 6 Pension for veterans with non-service connected disabilities

Part II: VA benefits for non-veterans
Ch 7 Benefits available to family members of living or deceased veterans

Part III: Rules affecting the amount of benefits paid
Ch 8 Effective dates for awards of benefits
Ch 9 Special issues for disability and death benefits

Part IV: VA health care and other benefits
Ch 10 VA health care
Ch 11 Other VA benefits

Part V: The VA claims adjudication process
Ch 12 Adjudication of original and reopened claims by VA regional offices
Ch 13 Board of Veterans’ Appeals
Ch 14 Common errors in final VA decisions denying benefits and the avenues available to correct them
Ch 15 Court review of VA decision-making

Part VI: Advocacy on behalf of VA claimants
Ch 16 Reviewing VA Claims Files
Ch 17 Effective advocacy before the VA and researching veterans law
Ch 18 Attorney’s fees or agent’s fees paid by VA claimants or by the VA

Part VII: Correction of military records
Ch 19 Military records correction issues
Ch 20 Upgrading less than fully honorable discharges
This book has everything you need to prepare for practice at the VA Regional Office, the Board of Veterans' Appeals and the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. Go from zero to a high-level of competency with this complete practice guide.

Purchase the DVD and save on your purchase of the Practice Tools. See the section on Money Saving Sets.

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