Appeals Advisor
Appeals Advisor compares Supplemental Claim, Higher-Level Review, and Board Appeal paths using your answers and dated aggregate workload context. Its result is a discussion aid, not a filing decision, deadline calculation, legal recommendation, or outcome prediction.
Overview
Appeals Advisor asks about the decision date, new evidence, hearing preference, and review priorities, then presents one educational suggestion with alternatives. It may also show dated aggregate VA workload context. Use the result to organize questions, not to replace the complete decision packet or make the decision for you. You choose the review option The actual VA notice controls the issues, available routes, and stated dates. Appeals Advisor does not file anything, calculate or extend a deadline, know every fact in your record, or provide legal advice. Review current official instructions and consider VA-accredited help before choosing.
Before opening the tool
Keep the complete decision packet available, not only a screenshot or summary List each issue and outcome separately because different issues can have different facts Identify whether you have evidence VA did not previously consider Use the date and instructions printed in the notice instead of calculating a new deadline Open the current VA pages for every option you are considering
Use Appeals Advisor as a comparison
Answer from the notice and record Use the actual decision date, current evidence posture, and your own hearing and review preferences. Preserve not sure when a fact is unresolved. The comparison is based on facts you can trace. Read the suggested path and alternatives Compare the evidence rules, reviewer, hearing or docket choices, and stated form for each displayed option. You understand the key tradeoffs without treating the first card as an instruction. Check the official page again Open VA's current page for the option and verify the issue is eligible, the evidence rule fits, and the notice-stated date has not passed. Current VA instructions control over saved Help Center or tool text. Treat workload data as dated context Read the report month and metric definition. Aggregate completion or grant data describes a population and does not estimate your personal outcome or decision date. A historical average does not become a promise. Discuss unresolved questions Take the comparison and complete packet to a VA-accredited representative when the lane, evidence window, hearing choice, or effective-date consequences are unclear. Consequential choices receive claim-specific review. High-level orientation only; current VA instructions and the notice control Option Central evidence rule Review focus Supplemental Claim Requires new and relevant evidence A reviewer considers the qualifying evidence with the claim Higher-Level Review Does not accept new evidence A higher-level reviewer reviews the existing record; an informal conference is not a hearing and cannot add evidence Board Appeal Evidence and hearing rules depend on the selected docket A Veterans Law Judge reviews the appeal under the chosen docket rules Do not compare only processing speed A lane that appears faster in aggregate can still be a poor fit for the evidence and review you need. Docket backlogs, claim complexity, remands, and individual facts can change timing substantially.
If the result does not fit your notice
If the result does not fit your notice The tool suggests a path that conflicts with the notice or your evidence plan Recheck the decision date and every answer entered Confirm whether the evidence was already in VA's record Read the official page for each eligible option Do not submit a form solely because the tool named it Treat the result as inapplicable until the conflict is resolved. The notice and current official instructions control. Workload data is unavailable Refresh the tool once Check whether a report date is shown Continue comparing the official evidence and reviewer rules Do not substitute an older remembered number Make no timing inference. The option comparison remains usable without a workload estimate. For a product defect, contact help@claimraven.com with synthetic answers and the displayed state. Do not send a decision letter or personal claim facts in a general support email.
Official sources
Official sources VA decision reviews and appeals https://www.va.gov/decision-reviews/ VA Supplemental Claims https://www.va.gov/decision-reviews/supplemental-claim/ VA Higher-Level Reviews https://www.va.gov/decision-reviews/higher-level-review/ VA Board Appeals https://www.va.gov/decision-reviews/board-appeal/
Related guidance
Related guidance Decision letter basics /help-center/claims-and-appeals/static-decision-letter-basics Decision-review orientation /help-center/claims-and-appeals/static-decision-review-orientation Work with VA-accredited help by choice /help-center/getting-started/static-accredited-help-choice
More information
Compare the review options Use the tool as an educational discussion guide, then verify the current official rules and make the choice yourself. Open Appeals Advisor /tools/appeals-advisor