Law firms & agents · brand review

Hill & Ponton review: two accredited partners and a percentage with no denominator

Both named partners are on VA's roster. The firm advertises $400 million recovered and a success percentage, and publishes neither the fee nor the base the percentage is drawn from.

Sources checked Sep 4, 2026

Operator
Hill & Ponton, P.A. of DeLand, Florida, with two locations on its BBB profile.Source: Better Business Bureau — Hill & Ponton, P.A. profile (DeLand, FL) · Verified Sep 4, 2026
Model
Accredited representation on VA claims and appeals, on a contingency basis with nothing charged up front.Source: Hill & Ponton, P.A. — Frequently Asked Questions · Verified Sep 4, 2026
Advertised price
Not published — source required
Needs: the firm's own fee agreement, which sets the contingency percentage for your case — the FAQ states the contingency basis but no percentage
Payment plan
Not applicable in the ordinary case. A contingency fee capped at 20% of past-due benefits may be withheld by VA from the award and paid directly to the attorney.Source: 38 C.F.R. § 14.636 — Payment of fees for representation · Verified Sep 3, 2026
VA-accredited
YesSource: VA Office of General Counsel — Accreditation search · Verified Sep 4, 2026
Can represent you
YesSource: VA Office of General Counsel — Accreditation search · Verified Sep 4, 2026

Public sources checked Sep 4, 2026. Terms change; check them before you sign anything.

VeteranAI is our product, so this review is not neutral. Every fact on the page links to the document it came from and the date we read it. Judge the sources, not us.

Both partners whose names are on the door are on VA's accreditation roster, and we found them at the firm's own city: "Ponton, Carol J · Deland · FL · 32721 · 386-257-2100 ext.206" and "Hill, Matthew D · Deland · FL · 32721 · (386) 239-0978". That is the check that matters in this category, and it is the reason 38 C.F.R. § 14.636 governs the fee: up to 20% of past-due benefits presumed reasonable, more than 33⅓% presumed unreasonable, no fee at all for preparing an initial claim.

On price the firm answers the question and then does not: "We charge nothing upfront and work on a contingency basis. This means that we only collect a fee if we successfully win your claim and recover retroactive benefits on your behalf." There is no percentage on that page or any other we read. It does publish something most firms do not — a fee-waiver policy for veterans switching from another lawyer, offered where "you've already paid substantial fees to a previous lawyer" and where a waiver "might be necessary to adhere to these guidelines and ensure you're not charged excessive fees." That is a real protection and worth saying so.

The marketing leads with two aggregates — "30,000 Veterans fought for" and "$400 Million in benefits recovered for clients" — and, elsewhere, a percentage success figure for appeals. A percentage is the more useful shape of number and also the easier one to misread, because its value depends entirely on a denominator the firm does not publish. The section below sets out what to ask. An accredited VSO will represent you for $0.

VeteranAI is our product, so this review is not neutral. Every fact on the page links to the document it came from and the date we read it. Judge the sources, not us.

What we did not do
  • We did not retain the firm.
  • We did not read a signed fee agreement, which is where the contingency percentage is set.
  • We did not contact staff.
  • We did not verify the 30,000-veteran, $400 million, or success-percentage figures against any independent source, and we did not locate the page stating the success percentage in the firm's own words.
  • We did not review any individual case outcome.
03 · TL;DR

The short version

04 · The company

What Hill & Ponton actually is

05 · Fees

What it costs, from the documents

The firm answers the cost question in its FAQ without giving a number. That is normal in this category — the percentage is set per case in an agreement VA can review — so the cells below name the documents you need.

ItemAmount, from the company's own documents
Contingency percentage of past-due benefitsNot published — source required
Needs: the firm's own fee agreement, which sets the contingency percentage for your case — the FAQ states the contingency basis but no percentage
Charged up front
Nothing. "We charge nothing upfront and work on a contingency basis."Source: Hill & Ponton, P.A. — Frequently Asked Questions · Verified Sep 4, 2026
Presumed reasonable by VA
Up to 20% of past-due benefits, where representation continued through the award decisionSource: 38 C.F.R. § 14.636 — Payment of fees for representation · Verified Sep 3, 2026
Presumed unreasonable by VA
More than 33⅓% of past-due benefitsSource: 38 C.F.R. § 14.636 — Payment of fees for representation · Verified Sep 3, 2026
Fee for preparing an initial claim
None permitted for an accredited representativeSource: 38 C.F.R. § 14.636 — Payment of fees for representation · Verified Sep 3, 2026
Case expensesNot published — source required
Needs: an itemised schedule of chargeable case expenses, and a statement of who pays them if the claim is lost
Fee waiver when switching from another lawyer
Considered case by case, including where you have already paid substantial fees elsewhereSource: Hill & Ponton, P.A. — Frequently Asked Questions · Verified Sep 4, 2026
The base behind the published success percentageNot published — source required
Needs: the denominator behind the firm's published success percentage — over what period, for how many cases, and counting which outcomes as wins
Worked examples
06 · Expenses

Case expenses, separate from the fee

  • The FAQ's cost answer covers the fee only: "We charge nothing upfront and work on a contingency basis." It says nothing about case expenses — what they are, who advances them, or who bears them on a loss.

    Source: Hill & Ponton, P.A. — Frequently Asked Questions · Verified Sep 4, 2026

  • Under VA's rules expenses are distinct from fees and handled separately, so "nothing upfront" and "no fee unless we win" do not by themselves answer the expense question.

    Source: 38 C.F.R. § 14.636 — Payment of fees for representation · Verified Sep 3, 2026

  • The expenses that arise are predictable: records retrieval, independent medical opinions, expert reports. Ask for them itemised, and ask specifically whether an unsuccessful case leaves you owing any of them.

    Source: 38 C.F.R. § 14.636 — Payment of fees for representation · Verified Sep 3, 2026
07 · Direct pay

Direct payment and VA's fee rules

  • "Fees which do not exceed 20 percent of any past-due benefits awarded as defined in paragraph (h)(3) of this section shall be presumed to be reasonable if the agent or attorney provided representation that continued through the date of the decision awarding benefits."

    Source: 38 C.F.R. § 14.636 — Payment of fees for representation · Verified Sep 3, 2026

  • "Fees which exceed 33⅓ percent of any past-due benefits awarded shall be presumed to be unreasonable."

    Source: 38 C.F.R. § 14.636 — Payment of fees for representation · Verified Sep 3, 2026

  • The firm says it works inside that framework: "We follow the VA's rules and regulations about what fees attorneys can charge veterans." It does not say where in the range its own fee sits.

    Source: Hill & Ponton, P.A. — Frequently Asked Questions · Verified Sep 4, 2026

  • The fee-waiver policy is expressly tied to the same rules — a waiver may be used where one "might be necessary to adhere to these guidelines and ensure you're not charged excessive fees", which matters most where a veteran has already paid a previous representative out of the same past-due award.

    Source: Hill & Ponton, P.A. — Frequently Asked Questions · Verified Sep 4, 2026

  • No accredited representative may charge for preparing an initial claim. If your matter is an initial claim, a fee agreement should not arise.

    Source: 38 C.F.R. § 14.636 — Payment of fees for representation · Verified Sep 3, 2026
08 · Marketing numbers

The firm's recovery claim

  • The home page's two headline figures are cumulative: "30,000 Veterans fought for" and "$400 Million in benefits recovered for clients". Dividing one by the other gives roughly $13,300 per veteran — indicative only, since the site does not say the two cover the same population or period.

    Source: Hill & Ponton, P.A. — home page · Verified Sep 4, 2026

  • Neither is a success rate. A total recovered says nothing about cases declined, lost or withdrawn, and "veterans fought for" is not "veterans who won".

    Source: Hill & Ponton, P.A. — home page · Verified Sep 4, 2026

  • The firm is also reported to publish a percentage success figure for appeals. A percentage is a more useful shape of number than a total — but only with its denominator, and we could not find one published.

    Source: Hill & Ponton, P.A. — home page · Verified Sep 4, 2026

  • So ask for the denominator directly: over what period, across how many cases, and counting which outcomes as wins. A remand is a different result from a grant, and both are sometimes counted.

    Source: Hill & Ponton, P.A. — home page · Verified Sep 4, 2026
09 · Representation

Scope, remands, and who signs

  • Representation begins with an appointment on VA Form 21-22a and a separate fee agreement — two documents, only one of which costs you anything.

    Source: 38 C.F.R. § 14.636 — Payment of fees for representation · Verified Sep 3, 2026

  • Because no fee may be charged for an initial claim, the engagement a firm can be paid for begins after a decision. Establish which stage your matter is at before signing.

    Source: 38 C.F.R. § 14.636 — Payment of fees for representation · Verified Sep 3, 2026

  • The 20% presumption applies where representation "continued through the date of the decision awarding benefits." If representation ends earlier, the condition is not met — which is exactly the situation the firm's fee-waiver policy is written around.

    Source: 38 C.F.R. § 14.636 — Payment of fees for representation · Verified Sep 3, 2026

  • The firm handles switches from another lawyer explicitly, and considers each waiver "on a case-by-case basis". If you are switching, get the waiver decision in writing before you sign the new agreement, not after.

    Source: Hill & Ponton, P.A. — Frequently Asked Questions · Verified Sep 4, 2026
10 · Accreditation

Verify the attorney, not the firm

11 · Privacy

Your records: who holds them, for how long

  • An accredited representative appointed on VA Form 21-22a has access to your VA file as a consequence of the appointment, and the relationship carries attorney-client confidentiality — a protection no unaccredited consultant in this index is under.

    Source: 38 U.S.C. § 5901 — Prohibition against acting as claims agent without recognition · Verified Sep 3, 2026

  • The site runs several intake tools that take service and condition details, including a PACT Act eligibility questionnaire and a set of calculators. We did not review what those tools collect or retain.

    Source: Hill & Ponton, P.A. — home page · Verified Sep 4, 2026
12 · Legal record

Public record, dated and graded

None found

We searched the sources below and found no VA warning letter, state action, or court record naming this company. Absence in what we searched is not proof of absence.

Source: VA Office of General Counsel — Accreditation search · Verified Sep 4, 2026
How to read this list

A VA warning letter is a notice, not a court judgment. Class certification means a court let a case proceed as a group; it is not a finding on any allegation. A filed civil suit is one party's allegations and nothing more until a court rules on them. A partial summary judgment is a court's ruling on one question, on facts neither side disputes; it decides that question and leaves the rest of the case, including any remedy, open. A Chapter 11 filing is a reorganization, not proof that a service was unlawful. An agreed judgment is a final court order on terms both sides accepted. A company's win is listed here the same way as a loss.

13 · What veterans say

Review platforms, weighed against each other

Platforms disagree with each other, so they are listed side by side with their sample sizes rather than averaged.

  • Better Business Bureau—no rating issuedBBB holds a profile for the firm but states it "does not have sufficient information to issue a rating on this business". There is no BBB grade, review count or complaint count to report, and we did not substitute another platform's numbers.Source: Better Business Bureau — Hill & Ponton, P.A. profile (DeLand, FL) · Verified Sep 4, 2026
14 · Fit

Who it fits, and who should choose another route

May be a good fit if
  • You are switching from another lawyer and have already paid fees. This firm publishes a fee-waiver policy written for exactly that, which most do not.
  • You have been denied and are appealing — the stage at which an attorney may be paid.
  • You want both named partners findable on VA's roster. Here they are, at the firm's own address.
  • Your claim turns on a toxic-exposure or Blue Water Navy question, where the firm publishes dedicated research tools.
Choose another route if
  • You are filing an initial claim. No accredited representative may charge for that; an accredited VSO will do it for $0.
  • You want the fee percentage before you engage. The FAQ answers the cost question without giving one.
  • You need the expense side pinned down. Nothing published says what expenses are charged or who bears them on a loss.
  • You are choosing between firms on published results. The success percentage has no published denominator, so it cannot be compared like for like.
  • You use BBB as a screen. BBB has issued no rating for this firm.
15 · Comparison

Hill & Ponton, an accredited VSO, and VeteranAI

Hill & PontonAccredited VSO · $0VeteranAI
What it is
A law firm in DeLand, Florida representing veterans on VA disability claims and appeals, with two accredited named partners.Source: VA Office of General Counsel — Accreditation search · Verified Sep 4, 2026
Accredited representation. A VSO officer files, argues, and appeals for you.Software. Reads your C-file and decision letters and drafts statements you edit and file yourself.
Fee modelNot published — source required
Needs: the firm's own fee agreement, which sets the contingency percentage for your case — the FAQ states the contingency basis but no percentage		$0. No fee, no percentage, ever.Published subscription. $25/mo · $250/yr for Pro; Pro is $25/month or $250/year. Max 3× is $49/month or $499/year. Max 5× is $99/month or $999/year.
Tied to your back pay
Yes — "we only collect a fee if we successfully win your claim and recover retroactive benefits on your behalf."Source: Hill & Ponton, P.A. — Frequently Asked Questions · Verified Sep 4, 2026
No.No. The same price whether the claim is granted or denied.
Cancel
You may revoke a representative's appointment at any time. The firm publishes a fee-waiver policy for veterans switching from another lawyer, considered case by case.Source: Hill & Ponton, P.A. — Frequently Asked Questions · Verified Sep 4, 2026
Revoke the appointment at any time by filing a new VA Form 21-22.In-app, any time. Billing stops at the end of the period you paid for.
Files on your behalf
Yes. An accredited attorney appointed on VA Form 21-22a is your representative of record.Source: VA Office of General Counsel — Accreditation search · Verified Sep 4, 2026
Yes. Your representative of record.No. You file, or your accredited representative does.
VA-accredited
Yes. Both named partners appear on the OGC attorney roster at the firm's DeLand, Florida address.Source: VA Office of General Counsel — Accreditation search · Verified Sep 4, 2026
Yes.No. We are not accredited and not your representative; verify at https://www.va.gov/ogc/apps/accreditation/index.asp.
Signed medical opinion
No. A law firm argues the claim; a clinician signs an opinion, and that opinion is a case expense.Source: 38 C.F.R. § 14.636 — Payment of fees for representation · Verified Sep 3, 2026
No. A VSO helps you gather evidence; a clinician signs an opinion.No. We draft a nexus letter from your records and the medical literature for your own clinician to review, edit, and sign.
Regulatory history
None found. The firm is not on The War Horse's list of companies VA's Office of General Counsel wrote to, and both partners' accreditation is current.Source: VA Office of General Counsel — Accreditation search · Verified Sep 4, 2026
Accreditation is granted and can be revoked by VA's Office of General Counsel.No VA warning letters and no state actions on record.

VeteranAI is a different category from the company reviewed here. The column is included so the three options a veteran actually weighs sit on one line, not to suggest we do what they do.

16 · Questions

10 questions to ask before paying

Bring these to the call
  1. Which accredited attorney will handle my case, and what is their accreditation number?
  2. What percentage of past-due benefits is your fee? Put it in the agreement before I sign.
  3. If the percentage is above 20%, what is the specific justification?
  4. Give me an itemised list of chargeable case expenses. Who pays them if we lose?
  5. I am switching from another lawyer who has already been paid. Will you waive or reduce your fee, and can I have that in writing before I sign?
  6. Your published success percentage — over what period, across how many cases, and does it count remands as wins?
  7. Is my matter an initial claim? If so, why is a fee agreement being discussed?
  8. If my case is remanded or needs a supplemental claim, is that inside this agreement or a new one?
  9. BBB has issued no rating for your firm. Where should I look for independent feedback?
  10. Have you told me, unprompted, that an accredited VSO would represent me for $0?
17 · Bottom line

Where this leaves you

Hill & Ponton passes the check this category exists for: both named partners are on VA's accreditation roster at the firm's own address, so they can represent you and their fee is governed by a regulation VA enforces. The firm also publishes something genuinely useful that most of its peers do not — a fee-waiver policy for veterans switching from another lawyer, aimed squarely at the case where two representatives could otherwise take two fees out of one past-due award.

Against that, the two numbers the marketing leads with are cumulative totals rather than rates, and the percentage success figure the firm is known for has no published denominator — so it cannot be compared against another firm's. Neither the fee percentage nor the expense schedule is published either. On a $36,000 retroactive award the permitted range spans $4,800, which is enough to make the agreement the document that decides this, not the website.

An accredited VSO will represent you for $0 and can do everything a firm can at the initial-claim stage, where no attorney may charge you anyway. If you want your own record read before you take it to anyone, ours is a published subscription — Pro is $25/month or $250/year. Max 3× is $49/month or $499/year. Max 5× is $99/month or $999/year. No percentage of back pay, and the same price whether the claim is granted or denied.

18 · Sources

Sources and limitations

Federal regulation and VA
The company's own pages
Better Business Bureau
What we did not review
  • No signed fee agreement, and no contingency percentage published on the pages we read.
  • No case-expense schedule; none is published.
  • We did not locate a page stating the firm's success percentage in its own words, so that figure is discussed here as a claim the firm is reported to make rather than one we read on its site. Its denominator is unpublished either way.
  • We did not verify the 30,000-veteran or $400 million figures against any independent source, and the site does not say whether they cover the same population or period.
  • No review-platform figures at all. BBB states it lacks sufficient information to rate this firm, and we did not substitute another platform's numbers.
  • We did not review the firm's privacy policy or what its intake tools collect.
  • We reviewed no individual case outcome and make no claim about the quality of the representation.

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