Derek Smith

VA-accredited attorney in Chicago, Illinois

Accreditation type: Accredited attorney
VA registration number: 42271
Accredited since: July 18, 2017 (9 years)
Location: Chicago, IL

What Derek Smith 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. Illinois has 291 accredited VSO representatives, and they can file the same initial claim at no cost.

Other accredited representatives in Illinois

Akshay Soman — Chicago
Alexa Schneider — Chicago
Alexander Butler — Chicago
Alison Tobias — Chicago
Allen Guon — Chicago
Amy Doig — Chicago
Andrea Pottebaum — Chicago
Andrew Angel — Chicago
Angelo Suozzi — Chicago
Anne Driscoll — Chicago
Anthony Gunnell — Chicago
Austin Archer — Chicago

See every accredited representative in Illinois

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.