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Ten Situations In Which You'll Want To Know About Veterans Disability Litigation

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  • Elke Magallon 작성
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How a Veterans Disability Settlement Can Affect a Divorce Case

Jim's client, 58 years old, is permanently disabled from his military service. He receives a monthly Pension benefit from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

He would like to be aware of whether a verdict by a jury will impact his VA benefits. It will not. It will, however, have an impact on his other sources of income.

Can I get compensation in the event of an accident?

You could be eligible for a settlement in the event that you were a soldier but are now permanently disabled as a result of injuries or illnesses. This settlement could help you get compensation for medical bills, lost wages and other expenses resulting from your injury or illness. The type of settlement you'll be able to receive depends on whether your condition is service-connected or not connected, what VA benefits you qualify for, as well as the amount your accident or injury will cost to treat.

For instance, Jim is a 58-year old veteran who was diagnosed with permanent disabilities based on two years of service during the Vietnam War. He does not have enough working space to qualify for Social Security disability benefits but He does have a VA Pension benefit which provides cash and free medical care that is based on financial need. He wants to know if a personal injury settlement could affect his ability to get this benefit.

The answer is dependent on whether the settlement is a lump sum or a structured one. Structured settlements require payments over time instead of a single payment. The amount that defendant pays is calculated to offset the existing VA benefits. A lump sum payout will likely affect any existing benefits because the VA considers it a tax-deductible income and will annually increase it. In any case, if there are excess assets are left after the period of twelve months after the settlement is annually recalculated, Jim could be eligible for a new Pension benefit but only if his assets fall less than a minimum threshold that the VA is able to agree establishes financial need.

Do I require an attorney?

Many spouses, military personnel and former spouses are concerned about VA disability benefits and their impact on money issues in divorce. Some people believe, among other things, that the Department of Veterans Affairs compensation payments can be split like the military retirement in divorce cases or that they're "off limits" when calculating child support and alimony. These misconceptions can lead to financial mistakes that have serious repercussions.

It is possible to submit a claim for disability benefits by yourself however, the majority of disabled Veterans disability law firms will benefit from the assistance of a qualified lawyer. A veteran's disability attorney will review your medical records to gather the evidence needed to make a strong case to the VA. The lawyer can also file any appeals you may need in order to get the benefits you are entitled to.

In addition, the majority of VA disability lawyers don't charge fees for consultations. The government will also pay the lawyer directly from the benefit of retroactive benefits. This is an advantage of the Equal Access to Justice Act. The proportion of retroactive past-due benefits that your lawyer will be paid should be clearly stated in your fee agreement. For example the fee agreement could provide that the government can pay the attorney up to 20% of retroactive benefits or award. Any additional amount is your the responsibility of the attorney.

Can I Garnish My VA Benefits?

The VA offers monthly payments to disabled veterans. The purpose of the payments is to compensate for some of the consequences of illnesses, disabilities, or injuries sustained during or aggravated during a veteran's military service. As with all income, veterans disability benefits can be subject to garnishment.

Garnishment permits a court order that an employer or a government agency withhold cash from the pay of a person who owes an amount and then pay it directly to the creditor. In the event of divorce, garnishment can be used to pay child or spousal support.

There are a few situations in which a veteran's benefits can be garnished. The most common scenario is a veteran who waived their military retirement in order to claim disability compensation. In these cases, the portion of the pension allocated to disability payments may be garnished for family support obligations.

In other circumstances, veteran's benefit may be garnished in order to pay medical bills or federal student loans that are past due. In these cases a judge can refer a case directly to the VA to obtain the information they need. A disabled veteran should hire an experienced lawyer to protect their disability benefits. This will prevent them from having to rely on private loans and payday lenders.

Can I Represent Myself in a Divorce Case?

VA disability settlements can be an enormous assistance to veterans and their families, but they come with their own set of issues. If a veteran is divorced and receives an VA settlement and is eligible, they should be aware of the impact this could have to their benefits.

In this regard, a major question is whether disability payments are considered assets that could be divided in a divorce. This question has been resolved in a variety of ways. A Colorado court of appeals ruling declared that VA disability payments were not property and therefore could not be divided in this manner. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Howell that garnishing a veteran’s VA disability payments to pay an alimony payment was a violation of USFSPA.

Another concern related to this topic is how the disability benefits are treated in the context of child support and maintenance. The USFSPA and the Supreme Court both forbid states from claiming disability benefits as income for these purposes. Certain states use different methods. Colorado, for example, adds all income sources together to determine the amount needed to provide for a spouse. Colorado then adds disability income in order to take into account their tax-free status.

It is also important for veterans disability attorneys to be aware of how their disability benefits will be affected if they are divorced and how their spouses' ex-spouses could affect their compensation. If they are aware of these issues, veterans disability attorneys can protect their earnings and avoid any unwanted consequences.

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