Claim Raven explanation
What this means
In a legacy appeal, VA sends the Statement of the Case to the appellant’s latest address and separately to the representative, together with instructions and VA Form 9.
A Statement of the Case is a legacy appeal document. Receiving one should prompt a review of the enclosed deadline and options; submitting more evidence alone does not generally extend the time to complete the appeal.
How this helps your claim
The package must explain the right and time limit to file a substantive appeal, hearing rights, representation rights, and available modernized-review options if the appellant elects to move the issues into that system. This section does not itself calculate the substantive-appeal deadline.
What to check in your records
Identify the Statement of the Case mailing date, address used, representative copy, and the form and instructions included.
- Keep the complete Statement of the Case, cover letter, VA Form 9, and envelope or electronic timestamp.
- Verify the appellant’s latest address of record and the representative shown when VA sent the package.
- Preserve the completed substantive appeal and proof of receipt or any election into the modernized review system.
Keep the whole mailing
The cover letter and envelope can be as important as the substantive discussion because they show the mailing date, address, and instructions VA gave. Scan them with the Statement of the Case.
If considering a modernized-review election, read the specific election instructions and consequences. Do not use an AMA form casually while a legacy substantive-appeal deadline is running.
Is the Statement of the Case the final step needed to reach the Board?
No. In a legacy appeal, the appellant generally must complete the appeal by filing the substantive appeal described in the enclosed instructions.
Official regulatory text
38 CFR § 19.30
eCFR snapshot: 2026-09-17. Layout and spacing are adapted for reading. The full section and its tables are included below.
§ 19.30 Furnishing the Statement of the Case and instructions for filing a Substantive Appeal.
(a) To whom the Statement of the Case is furnished. The Statement of the Case will be forwarded to the appellant at the latest address of record and a separate copy provided to his or her representative (if any).
(b) Information furnished with the Statement of the Case. With the Statement of the Case, the appellant and the representative will be furnished information on the right to file, and time limit for filing, a substantive appeal; information on hearing and representation rights; a VA Form 9, “Appeal to Board of Veterans' Appeals”; and a statement describing the available review options if the appellant elects review of the issue or issues on appeal in the modernized review system.
(Authority: Sec. 2, Pub. L. 115-55; 131 Stat. 1105; 38 U.S.C. 7105 (2016))
[57 FR 4104, Feb. 3, 1992, as amended at 61 FR 20449, May 7, 1996; 84 FR 178, Jan. 18, 2019; 84 FR 34788, July 19, 2019]
Related references
- 38 CFR § 19.21: Notice of Disagreement rules for legacy appeals
- 38 CFR § 19.34: Appealing a finding that a legacy appeal was late
- 38 CFR § 19.38: What VA does after a legacy Board remand
- 38 CFR § 19.54: New evidence usually does not extend a legacy appeal deadline
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