The Law Offices of Edward M. Farmer, LLC

Legal identity and client scope

The firm operates in Warrenville, Illinois, under the assumed name The Vet Law Office. Its legal entity is The Law Offices of Edward M. Farmer, LLC. The firm represents U.S. military veterans in matters involving federal benefits and military discharge records.

The firm works with clients across the United States. Its website names California, Texas and Florida among the states where clients live. VA claims arise within a federal system, which allows an Illinois firm to represent veterans in other states.

VA disability benefits and discharge upgrades form the firm's stated focus. Each area has its own decision makers, records and review procedures. In my opinion, the site gives a clear account of the legal subjects the attorneys handle.

VA disability claims and appeals

The website identifies disability ratings, Compensation and Pension examinations and denied-claim appeals as parts of the firm's work. It also names Higher-Level Review, supplemental claims and appeals to the Board of Veterans' Appeals. The firm handles cases before the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims as well.

Ratings, evidence and examinations

A VA disability claim usually requires proof of a current condition, an event or illness connected with military service, and a link between the two. Medical records, service records and medical opinions can address those elements. The exact evidence depends on the condition and the history of the claim.

VA assigns disability ratings after reviewing the evidence for each service-connected condition. Those ratings affect the amount of monthly compensation, while VA rules control how multiple ratings combine. A dispute may concern service connection, the percentage assigned or the effective date of an award.

A Compensation and Pension examination gives VA medical findings for use in a claim decision. The examiner may review records, ask about symptoms and complete a condition-specific questionnaire. The examiner supplies medical information, while VA adjudicators decide the claim.

Review after a VA decision

The next procedure depends on the decision, the available evidence and the claimant's goal. A Supplemental Claim allows a claimant to submit new and relevant evidence. A Higher-Level Review asks a more senior VA reviewer to examine the existing record for an error.

A Higher-Level Review may include an informal conference. That conference gives the claimant or attorney a chance to identify factual or legal errors in the prior decision. The reviewer generally works with the evidence that VA already had when it issued that decision.

A Board appeal places the matter before a Veterans Law Judge. The claimant selects a review option that controls whether new evidence or a hearing will form part of the Board proceeding. Written arguments, prior rating decisions, medical records and examination reports can shape the issues before the judge.

Cases before the veterans court

The U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims reviews final decisions issued by the Board of Veterans' Appeals. The court examines claims of legal or procedural error. It may affirm a decision, reverse an error in an appropriate case or return the matter for further action.

Court proceedings use briefing and a formal record. The focus differs from a new benefits application because the court reviews the Board's work under federal law. The firm's stated court practice places its VA work beyond agency-level review when a case reaches that stage.

Discharge upgrades and military records

A discharge upgrade request goes to a board within the veteran's military department. The board reviews the character of discharge and the circumstances surrounding separation. The branch, discharge date and requested correction help identify the proper board.

Standards used by review boards

Discharge Review Boards consider whether a discharge was proper and equitable under the governing standards. Boards for Correction of Military or Naval Records consider claims of error or injustice. Filing rules and available remedies vary with the board that has authority over the record.

The board usually receives a written application supported by military and personal records. A veteran may address service circumstances, health conditions, conduct, command actions and events after separation when those facts bear on the request. Some procedures also permit a personal appearance before the board.

The board evaluates the evidence under the rules that apply to the veteran's service branch. Its decision may change the character of service, the narrative reason for separation or another part of the military record. The requested relief must match the correction sought in the application.

Where discharge and VA issues meet

A military department controls the correction of its own discharge records. VA separately applies federal rules when it decides eligibility for benefits. A VA character-of-discharge determination and a military discharge upgrade therefore involve different authorities.

The distinction affects the documents and legal questions in each proceeding. A military board focuses on the service record and separation decision. VA focuses on its statutory and regulatory rules when it evaluates a claim for benefits.

Military and legal experience on the team

The attorney biographies identify military service across the Army and Navy. They also describe work within a veterans disability firm, a law school veterans clinic, the military justice system and the Board of Veterans' Appeals. That background gives prospective clients specific professional history to consider.

Edward M. Farmer

Edward M. Farmer owns the firm and handles VA appeals. He served in the U.S. Army during the Iraq War and is a service-disabled veteran. His military record includes the Combat Infantry Badge and an Army Commendation Medal.

Farmer attended Valparaiso School of Law in Indiana. He later worked with Bosley & Bratch, a firm that handled veteran disability matters. He then became Senior Staff Attorney of the Veterans Legal Support Center & Clinic at The John Marshall Law School.

Those roles place his work in both private representation and a veterans legal clinic. His current biography identifies VA appeals as part of his work at the firm. The website also identifies him as the firm's founder.

Bryan R. Blackmore

Bryan R. Blackmore represents veterans at the firm after more than two decades in uniform. He held military roles as a Deck Watch Officer, Intelligence Analyst and JAG. His biography gives a concise account of operational, intelligence and legal service.

Blackmore's JAG background forms part of his stated experience before representing the firm's clients. Military legal work operates within its own statutes, regulations and command structure. His current role centers on veterans representation.

Andrew M. Pettit

Andrew M. Pettit served in the Navy as an enlisted member and an officer. His service included active duty and reserve duty. He later represented communities as a public official.

Pettit also worked as a decision-writing attorney for the Board of Veterans' Appeals. That position involved written decisions within the agency tribunal that hears veterans benefits appeals. He now represents veterans through the firm.

Named legal support

The website identifies Lyndi Feitshans as the firm's legal secretary. Her inclusion gives clients a named point of legal support within the team. The published team information places her alongside Farmer, Blackmore and Pettit.

Records that commonly shape a case

A veteran preparing a VA matter will usually need the decisions and notices already issued in the claim. Service treatment records, private medical records, VA medical records and Compensation and Pension reports may also matter. The latest decision date helps identify the available review procedure and its filing deadline.

Organizing a VA claim file

Rating decisions identify the conditions VA accepted or denied. They also state assigned percentages and effective dates. Decision notices explain review options, while medical evidence addresses the factual basis for the claim.

A clear chronology can connect service events, treatment and later diagnoses. Statements from the veteran or other witnesses may describe symptoms and their effects. Medical opinions may address questions that require clinical judgment.

Organizing a discharge application

A discharge matter commonly begins with the separation document and the veteran's official military personnel file. Service treatment records, disciplinary documents and command records may provide further context. The application identifies the requested correction and the grounds supporting it.

Post-service records may bear on equity or injustice when the governing board permits their consideration. Personal statements can explain events that the official file records only briefly. A Discharge Review Board or correction board then evaluates the application under the rules of the veteran's service branch.