Attorney Representation Documents
Attorney Representation Documents
I had an attorney representing me during my appeals case. However now the case is closed and the attorney doesn't have legal authority to continue representing me. They are wanting me to sign a new Representation Document (POA) so they can continue representing me. I asked what they needed me to submit to them to close my file and they stated they just needed a copy of the decision letter mailed to them. I asked if I could provide that, would it be sufficient. I don't wish to pursue further legal action against the VA. I received a favorable outcome and don't want to reopen this closed file. It took almost 6 years to get this appeal finished and I don't want to hassle of opening it back up. My question is: Is this common for an attorney to need me to resign Representation Documents (POA) so they can get their own copy of the decision letter or are they trying to pull something over on me?
Hello and thank you for your question!
Based on the information provided, the attorney is likely requesting a renewed POA because their system access was cut off prior to their being able to verify how their fees were being calculated pursuant to your representation agreement. In addition to the decision letter, you should have received a letter from VA detailing the portion of your award that is being held back for attorneys fees. That letter would detail the calculation VA used to calculate the attorneys fees portion of the award. Sending your attorneys the decision letter and the fees calculation letter should be sufficient for their purposes. One other option is to provide them a “limited” POA where you specify within the document what authority you are granting them and for how long. You can accompany that with a letter from you making clear that the POA is being granted solely for the purpose of them closing your file (and calculating/collecting their fees) and that you do not wish to pursue further legal action against the VA.
Thank you so much for contacting us. We wish you the best!
Sincerely,
The Veterans Consortium Pro Bono Program