The VA system is intentionally designed to frutrate veterans and their familites and because of this, a laywer may be necessary in order to win your case. By frustrating veterans, in some instances the VA counts on a veteran abandoning their case, thus, fewer cases are appealed and thus fewer cases are gratned. If you are feeling frustrated by the system, or if the VA is unclear to you about why your claim is being denied, then you may need a laywer to help with your case.
If you are initially filing for the first time for the benefit, you may be able to handle the case on your own or with the help of a Veterans Service Represenative (VSO) such as the service representative for the county you live in. VSOs provide free legal services to veterans and you do not have to be a member of their organization. Feel free to consult me about whether your case would best be handled by a lawyer or a VSO.