VA delays mean big paydays for lawyers. Can Congress change that?

That’s 33% of what a veteran is supposed to take home. And since attorneys charge by the hour, they have an incentive to make things last as long as possible, which is no good for veterans or taxpayers. 

I’m a military spouse and former ombudsman for one of my husband’s previous commands. This means I know the system quite well, both the good and the bad. I’ve seen service members and their families walk into the VA’s system with the expectation that their sacrifice of family, body, and health will quickly result in the benefits that they were promised during years or decades of service. Most of the time, however, they walk out disappointed, suddenly aware that they’re going to have to fight harder at home than they ever did during deployments.

Of course, a better VA system is the real answer. Seven years is an eternity for a veteran struggling with PTSD after seeing their battle buddy die or being injured in combat. It’s just as long for the spouse who spent years moving, fearing for their loved one’s life during deployments, and welcoming a changed person back home.

Also, to include their children, which is why my husband and I ferociously protect our time together. We recently spent almost two months in a hotel as a family while he was in training, uncomfortable, for sure. But it was worth it to keep our family together and strong.

In the 12 years since the first major scandal exposed just how broken the system is, little has changed from the veteran perspective. That’s why every dollar at the VA must be investigated, and Congress should go even further to ensure those dollars are used well. For example, the CHOICE for Veterans Act of 2025 (H.R. 3132) caps fees on certain claims and appeals at $12,500, which means that honest lawyers and others who help veterans will make plenty of money. And the shysters, whether lawyers or the get-your-money-fast schemers, will have minimal incentive to fleece veterans.

Veterans put their lives and health on the line to keep this country safe. The least we can do is protect them during and after their time in service. Disputes between the VA and the veterans the agency is supposed to serve should not be seen as a revenue stream, especially when the money comes out of veterans’ own pockets. 

Lawyers joke that a “good case” is one that helps them trade in their BMWs for newer models. For too many trial lawyers stuck in the VA disability system’s backlog of denied benefit applications, that punchline is paid for by disabled veterans and taxpayers who never get to laugh. 

Behind every VA appeal is someone who has already paid in advance with their body, health, and family life. Yet, when they finally win, an army of lawyers is waiting at the finish line for a huge payout.