How AVA works
You do three things. AVA does the reading and the drafting in between, and shows its work in plain words.
What you do
Step 1
Add your records
Upload your VA and military records as PDF, Word, text, JPG or PNG files. Hundreds of pages at once. Not sure what to upload? Start with your DD-214 and any VA letters.
Step 2
Check what AVA found
AVA reads every page and lists the conditions it found, with the page it found each one on. It shows what is still missing. You say which ones to claim.
Step 3
Review, sign and file
AVA drafts your statements and pre-fills your VA forms for you to check. You read each one, sign where marked, and file it yourself on VA.gov or with a free VSO.
What AVA does between your steps
Each of these shows up on your Home screen as one sentence, with a See how link that lists the pages it read.
Reading your records
AVA reads every page you upload, including scanned pages, and notes the page it found each fact on.
Sorting what we found
AVA groups the facts by condition and by the dates they happened.
Checking what is missing
For each condition AVA lists what it found and what it did not find yet, as facts. Never a grade.
Writing your statements
AVA drafts a statement for each condition you chose to claim, from your records and your own words. Every sentence points at a page.
Pre-filling forms for you to check
AVA pre-fills up to nine VA forms with facts from your records. You check every field AVA fills.
Double-checking the drafts
AVA holds back any draft it cannot tie to your records, and asks for your words instead.
Six things AVA does from your own record
Each one shows up inside the app as you work, with the page it came from.
Every sentence points at a page
Every sentence AVA drafts points at a page in your own record. Open the page, or mark the line wrong with one tap.
Nine VA forms, pre-filled for you to check
Eight named VA forms plus the claim form, pre-filled with facts from your records. You check every field, and each form shows its plain name beside its number. The employer form is linked for you to hand over.
- VA Form 21-526EZ (disability claim form)
- VA Form 21-0966 (intent to file)
- VA Form 20-0995 (Supplemental Claim)
- VA Form 20-0996 (Higher-Level Review)
- VA Form 10182 (Board Appeal)
- VA Form 21-8940 (unemployability)
- VA Form 21-4192 (employer statement for an unemployability claim): your employer fills this one. AVA gives you the link.
- VA Form 21-2680 (aid and attendance)
- VA Form 21-10210 (lay or witness statement)
- VA Form 21-4142a (release of information)
Claim exam prep from your own record
If VA schedules a claim exam (a C&P exam), AVA writes an exam prep guide from your own record. It says what the exam is, what to bring, and the questions an examiner may ask. You download it with your papers at step 5.
Secondary conditions, found in your records
Some conditions are caused or made worse by another one. AVA finds those links in your own records, so you can decide whether to claim them as secondary.
Conditions VA presumes are tied to service
VA presumes some conditions are tied to service in certain places and years. AVA matches where and when you served against those lists, and names the list when your record matches.
Your decision letter, checked against your file
Already have a VA decision letter? Upload it with your VA file. AVA reads what VA granted and denied, then looks through your file for conditions and evidence the decision did not address.
AVA shows what it found. Only VA decides. See how
What AVA never does
AVA never files anything with VA. You download your packet and file it yourself.
AVA does not decide your rating. Only VA does, after you file.
AVA never invents a fact. A draft that cannot be traced to a page in your records is held for your own words.
AVA takes nothing from your VA benefits. $79 is a one-time fee to use the tool.
AVA never stands between you and free help. File with a free Veterans Service Organization (VSO) or on your own. AVA works with both.
Already have a VA decision letter?
Upload it with your VA file. AVA reads what VA granted and denied, then looks through your file for conditions and evidence the decision did not address.
AVA shows what it found. Only VA decides. You decide what to do next. Nothing is filed for you.
For each condition, AVA shows the letter's own sentence, then a plain reading of it. Then it shows your three choices as equals, in VA's words, with VA's page linked for each one:
- Higher-Level Review (VA Form 20-0996): a more senior reviewer looks at the same record for an error. No new evidence.
- Supplemental Claim (VA Form 20-0995): you send new and relevant evidence VA has not considered before.
- Board Appeal (VA Form 10182): a Veterans Law Judge at the Board of Veterans' Appeals reviews your case.
AVA does not pick one for you. A form is drafted only after you choose and confirm, for you to check. Your window to act shows with the date AVA read, marked for you to check against the letter.
If the reading looks wrong, ask a free VSO. The link is in the footer of every page.
Conditions VA presumes
VA presumes some conditions come from where and when you served: Agent Orange, burn pits, the Gulf War and Camp Lejeune.
In step 2, AVA checks your service record against each VA list. You can browse every condition on each list, with a link to VA's own page.
Ready to start?
$79 one-time fee to use the tool. No monthly fee. Nothing taken from your VA benefits.
Come back when a condition gets worse. No new fee.
See pricing