Kathleen Melez
VA-accredited attorney in Los Angeles, California
- Accreditation type: Accredited attorney
- VA registration number: 53615
- Accredited since: December 31, 2022 (3 years)
- Location: Los Angeles, CA
What Kathleen Melez may charge
Accredited attorneys and claims agents may not charge for preparing your initial claim. A fee may only be charged after the VA issues a decision and you file an appeal or a supplemental claim, and the fee agreement has to be filed with the VA (38 CFR § 14.636). Fees are commonly a percentage of retroactive benefits — 20% is typical and 33⅓% is the outer edge of what the VA presumes reasonable. Nothing about being on the accreditation list sets or endorses a rate; ask for the fee agreement in writing before you sign.
Before you sign with anyone
- Confirm the accreditation yourself on the VA’s official accreditation search. This page mirrors that list; the VA’s copy is the authority.
- Ask what happens to the fee if you lose, and get the fee agreement in writing.
- Ask who will actually handle the claim — the person you spoke to, or someone else.
- Ask what evidence they intend to develop. A representative who never asks about your service history or your treatment records is not building a claim.
- Talk to a free VSO first. California has 536 accredited VSO representatives, and they can file the same initial claim at no cost.
Other accredited representatives in California
- A. Dorny — Los Angeles
- Abbey Lent — Los Angeles
- Amanda Pertusati — Los Angeles
- Amanda Powell — Los Angeles
- Amy Saechao — Los Angeles
- Anthony Bonadies — Los Angeles
- Ariana Barlas — Los Angeles
- Benjamin Phillips — Los Angeles
- Billy Conway — Los Angeles
- Brandon Wong — Los Angeles
- Brooke Boll — Los Angeles
- Bryon Alvarez — Los Angeles
See every accredited representative in California
Listing drawn from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs accreditation list. Inclusion here is not a recommendation, a ranking, or an endorsement, and we are not affiliated with the VA. We do not sell veterans as leads. Something wrong on this page? Tell us and we’ll correct it.