VA-accredited attorneys and claims agents in California

Accredited help in California at a glance

422 accredited attorneys, 44 claims agents and 559 VSO representatives are based in California.

California's 466 attorneys and agents work out to 3.16 per 10,000 veterans, ranking 24 of 52 states and territories.

Of California's 58 counties, 28 have an accredited attorney or claims agent based there (48.3 percent). County locations could not be matched for 25 people on the roster.

The largest groups in California are in Los Angeles (79), San Diego (56), San Francisco (51), Palo Alto (15), and Riverside (12).

California added 55 newly accredited attorneys and agents in the last 12 months. Median time accredited in California: 4.8 years. Accreditation dates were unavailable or invalid for 1 person; those records are left out of these time calculations.

In these counties, the nearest help may be a free county VSO, or an attorney who works with you by phone and online.

California's VA regional offices are in Oakland, Los Angeles, and San Diego.

Neighboring states

Attorneys and claims agents per 10,000 veterans: California 3.16; Arizona 1.99; Nevada 2.35; Oregon 1.32. Based on each representative's roster state, not the states where they accept clients.

Veterans and benefits in California

About 1.48 million veterans live in California, using VA's rounded population projection.

At least 502,173 veterans in California received VA disability compensation at the end of fiscal year 2025. VA does not publish very small county counts, so the true number is a little higher.

That works out to about one accredited attorney or claims agent for every 1,100 people in California receiving compensation, using the reported minimum.

Where California claims are worked

Workload report dated 2026-09-19.

Claims with a California address: 50,849 claims pending, 11.9 percent pending more than 125 days.

For claims with a California address, VA averaged 74.4 days to complete a claim this fiscal year. Individual claims vary.

San Diego regional office: 6,830 claims pending, 18.6 percent pending more than 125 days, averaging 81.7 days pending.

Los Angeles regional office: 4,475 claims pending, 16.7 percent pending more than 125 days, averaging 78.8 days pending.

Oakland regional office: 3,626 claims pending, 9.8 percent pending more than 125 days, averaging 68.0 days pending.

VA moves claims between offices, so an office's queue can include claims from other states.

Board hearings are mostly virtual, so an attorney does not need to be local.

How representation relates to Board results

National Board of Veterans' Appeals results, fiscal year 2024, legacy appeals.

These are national figures for older appeals and do not account for differences between cases.

What decides Board appeals

Claim Raven's national analysis covers 101,518 condition decisions in 49,876 appeals: 29.5 percent granted, 40.8 percent denied, and 26.6 percent remanded. These are appealed cases, not initial VA claims.

Where the Board rated the medical link, grant shares were 89.7 percent when strong, 3.7 percent when weak, and 1.6 percent when missing. Grant shares were 16.7 percent with one kind of evidence and 56.9 percent with six or more kinds of evidence, among the 80,128 condition decisions where evidence types were identified.

These figures show association, not cause. Read the analysis and methodology.

Which kind of help fits you?

VA presumes fees up to 20 percent of back pay reasonable; above 33 1/3 percent, unreasonable. Get the agreement in writing.

Free help in California

Find free VSO help in California or read about California veterans benefits.

Questions about VA-accredited representatives in California

How many VA-accredited attorneys are in California?

California has 422 active accredited attorneys and 44 claims agents based in the state.

How much does a VA-accredited attorney charge?

Often 20 percent of back pay, after VA decides the claim. Agree to fees in writing. VSO help is free.

Do I need an attorney in my county in California?

California has 30 counties without an attorney or agent located by ZIP. Ask about remote appointments or a free county VSO.

How long do California claims take?

VA averaged 74.4 days to complete claims with a California address this fiscal year, as of 2026-09-19. Individual claims vary.

Where can I find free help in California?

Start with the California VSO directory.

Sources and dates

• VA veteran population (VetPop2023), September 2023 projection.
• VA compensation recipients (FY2025), September 2025.
• Board representation (FY2024).
• Board analysis, 2026-08-06.
• Evidence analysis, 2026-08-03.
• VA accreditation roster, facts refreshed 2026-09-28.
• VA Monday Morning Workload Report, 2026-09-19.
• Census county adjacency, 2024; state neighbors include water-boundary contacts.

How this directory works

Every active VA-accredited attorney and claims agent is listed for free. Attorneys can claim their listing to add their firm, website and details. Premier and Featured are paid spots above the free listings, labeled "Paid placement." When Featured spots are not sold, they rotate daily among listed attorneys at no cost, labeled "Free rotating spot." Payment never changes the order of the free listings below them.

Claim Raven is not a law firm. No legal advice or endorsements. VA roster listings; paid placements are advertising. Check VA accreditation.