Veteran Service Organizations
Veteran Service Organizations such as VFW, DAV, and American Legion have been helping Veterans for many years. They provide a free service to submit your claim. These organizations can be local, state, and national level organizations. They've been instrumental in pushing Congress to pass new legislation for Veterans and dependent benefits such as the recent PACT Act
Some require membership with the organization. Before they will help with you VA disability claim. But most offer the services for free. However, this free service also means that often, you'll get basic results.
Often times you deal with a Chapter Service Officer. Mostly, the individual from out experience has been trained to simply fill out your VA form such as the 21-526EZ. They are inexperienced in VA laws and regulations. Simply put, you get what you pay for!
Unaccredited Claims Companies
The Department of Veterans Affairs has a very strict policy when it comes to the representation of Veterans and their claims. They have even published a list of accredited representatives who may assist Veterans in their claims for disability benefits. VA Disability Claims Representatives are vetted and governed under regulations. The VA Office of General Counsel has determined that Accredited Representatives may charge 33 1/3% for fees recovered on an appeal if the case is determined to be significantly complicated. Although, the OGC has determined that 20% is considered reasonable and this fee is usually paid by the VA from the Veteran's retroactive award if won on an appeal.
Other Organizations
There are other organizations that assist Veterans with their claims. These Companies are not accredited. Sadly, some are even predatory.
These companies charge Veterans 6X and up to 10X of any VA disability benefits received. This means, if they helped you get to a 30% ($508.05) disability, you could owe them over $3000!