We do not get paid unless we are able to obtain a favorable decision for you at the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC) or past-due benefits (back pay) at the VA Regional Office. In other words, we do not get paid unless you get paid. If we are able to obtain a favorable decision for you at the CAVC, the government pays our attorney fees so that you do not have to. If we are able to obtain past-due benefits (back pay) for you at the VA Regional Office, and we are owed a percentage of your past-due benefits based on a contract signed by you and your attorney, Virginia A. Girard-Brady, either we will ask you to pay us once you have received your past-due amount or the VA will withhold only the attorney fees (not the entire amount of your past-due benefits) and pay us that portion, depending on the type of contract we have with you.