How a williamsport veterans disability attorney Disability Settlement Can Affect a Divorce Case
Jim’s 58 year old client is permanently disabled due to his military service. He receives a monthly pension benefit from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
He wants to know if an award from a jury will affect his VA benefits. The answer is that it will not. It will, however, affect his other income sources.
Can I receive compensation for an accident?
If you’ve served in the military but are now permanently disabled as a result of injuries or illnesses, you could be eligible for a veteran disability settlement. This settlement can assist in compensating you for medical bills, lost income, and other expenses resulting from your injury or sickness. The kind of settlement you will receive will depend on whether your injury or illness is a result of a service connection, the VA benefits you are eligible for, and the cost to treat your injury or accident.
Jim, a 58-year veteran of the Vietnam war, was diagnosed as having permanent disabilities because of his two years of service. He does not have enough space for work to be eligible for Social Security Disability benefits, however, he does have the VA Pension which offers cash and medical care for free dependent on the amount of money he needs. He wants to know how a personal injury settlement will affect his eligibility to benefit from this benefit.
The answer is contingent upon whether the settlement is a lump sum or a structured one. Structured settlements are settlements that are paid over a time period rather than as a single payment and the amount paid by the defendant is calculated to offset any existing VA benefits. A lump sum payout will likely alter any existing benefits as the VA considers it income and will annualize it. If Jim has surplus assets after the settlement is annually adjusted the applicant can apply again to be eligible for the pension benefit. However the assets he has to be below a threshold the VA has set that establishes financial necessity.
Do I Need to Hire an Attorney?
Many service members, spouses and former spouses are confused about VA disability compensation and its effect on financial issues in a divorce case. Among other things, some people think that the Department of bloomsburg veterans disability lawyer Affairs’ compensation payments can be divided like a military pension in divorce or are «off limits» in calculation of child support and alimony. These misconceptions may lead to serious financial errors.
It is possible to file a claim for disability benefits by yourself, but most disabled veterans would require the help of a skilled lawyer. A veteran’s disability lawyer who is experienced will review your medical records and gather all the necessary evidence to present a strong case at the VA. The lawyer can also file any appeals you might need to get the benefits you deserve.
Moreover, most VA disability lawyers charge no fees for consultations. In addition that the lawyer will normally be paid by the government directly from your retroactive past-due benefits. This is a benefit of the Equal Access to Justice Act. The amount of retroactive past-due benefits your lawyer will be paid should be clearly stated in your fee agreement. A fee agreement could say for instance that the government will pay the attorney up 20% of retroactive benefits. Any additional amounts will be your to pay.
Can I Garnish My VA Benefits?
If a disabled veteran is granted compensation from the VA the compensation is paid in the form of monthly payments. The purpose of the payments is to help offset the impact of injuries, illnesses or disabilities that have been sustained or aggravated by a veteran’s time of service. The benefits for florence veterans disability lawsuit‘ disability are subject to garnishment, as is any other income.
Garnishment lets a court order that an employer or government agency stop cash from the pay of a person who is in the process of paying a debt and send it directly to a creditor. In the event of a divorce garnishment may be used to pay child or spousal support.
There are a few situations in which a veteran’s benefits can be encashable. The most common scenario is those who have renounced their military retirement in order to receive disability compensation. In these instances the amount of pension allocated to disability payments can be garnished for family support obligations.
In other instances the benefits of a veteran can be garnished to pay for medical expenses or past-due federal student loans. In these situations the court could go directly to the VA to obtain the information they require. The disabled veteran should consult an experienced attorney to safeguard their disability benefits. This can stop them from relying on payday lenders and private loans.
Can I Represent Myself in a Divorce Case?
VA disability settlements are an excellent help to Glendale Veterans Disability Attorney as well as their families. However, they come with their own set complications. If a person divorces and receives an VA settlement then they must be aware of the implications to the benefits they receive.
In this regard, the main question is whether disability payments are considered assets that can be divided in divorce. The issue has been resolved in a variety of ways. A Colorado court of appeals decision found that VA disability payments were not property and 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 alimony was a violation of USFSPA.
Another issue that is related to this issue is the handling of disability benefits for child support and maintenance. The USFSPA and the Supreme Court both forbid states from claiming disability benefits as income to be used for this purpose. Some states have different methods. For instance, Colorado adds up all sources of income to determine the amount in support a spouse will need and then adds up the disability benefits to take into account that they are tax free.
It is also important that milpitas veterans disability lawyer understand how their disability benefits will be affected if they get divorced and lowlife.wiki how their ex-spouses may garnish their compensation. If they are aware of these questions, veterans can guard their compensation and avoid unwanted consequences.