VETERANS SUPPORT LAWYERS' $66.6-MILLION LEGAL FEE

They you go. You have less than 7 years retro, but have been reinstated. So if you collect SISIP for another 18 years, for a total of 25 years, you will make over $780000 from the lawsuit. So the $35K you will pay the lawyers will amount to 5% of your total earnings. While other Veterans who may make as much monthly as you, but their retro equals 15 years of the same 25 year total, ($468000) will pay almost 84000 in legal fees, which is 10% of his total, and every Veteran who only qualifies for 24 months retro pays over 17%. These calculations are only made more disparaging when you factor in indexation on the future money. So maybe the judge should set three different rates. One for those getting more future money than they will in retro, one for those whose retro money exceeds any possible future money, and one for those who will not see any future money.

So I know how much I will be deducted, but also on the brighter side I know how much I will be getting, which I never would have had if it was not for MC and DM! No matter what your opinion on them, the result is there and for that I am thankful

Out of 200k... and 2600$ a month in future

Mine and almost every regular member on these forums. So tell us DJ, how much are you going to be paying the lawyers versus how much you will make from the lawsuit in retro and future money.

In your opinion, of course

Actually there were several that stated that the fees were way too high, and/or should be paid by the GoC. Even the judge stated that just because 250 of the 7500 class members took the opportunity to address the court, does not indicate their support. They each had their own reasons for not submitting a letter. They may have been too ill. They may have felt that doing so was a waste of time, since many felt as if the deal was done and our voices didn't matter. Or they may not have even realized that they were members of the class. After all, the original cut off date for the lawsuit was only back to 2001, so many Veterans who only received their 24 months prior to that may never have followed the lawsuit in the belief that it didn't affect them, if they knew about it at all. In fact the ONLY people who feel the fees are justified are the lawyers themselves. And those greedy Veterans who only have to pay a minimal amount to get the greatest reward (IE: totally disabled Veterans released since 2008-09, so very little retro, but huge amounts in future money), and could care less about anyone else.

Actually, the media were at the 14-15 Feb hearing and heard only 2 vets out of everyone there against the fees... what do you expect? They didn't pull this article out of there arse! The fees are justified in my view. All they have done and all they will do in the future is worth it. Good article.

I did contact the media to give a voice to those opposing not only the legal fees, but the deal itself and was left out in the cold. Nobody wanted to report that they were wrong. They didn't want Canada to know that even after winning in court, disabled Veterans were getting the shaft, by two parties now, the GoC and our own lawyers, and it was legal this time.

Yes they are officially douchebags. They fixed a wrong, which was commendable, however all good deeds were dismissed when they tried taking advantage of the disabled ($13,000/hour(really) . Hell, if I had seen a bully picking on a disabled in a parking lot I'd knock em out.

you got it ltd4me!!! maybe if some of us contacted the cp reporter alison auld we could explain to her the truth that most veterans are not MC or DM lovers &we dont support $66million by a long shot!! maybe we can get a more balanced picture out there cause the public is gonna think veterans are brain dead for supporting such greed

remember---
heroes dont attack the vulnerable
heroes dont favour greedy lawyers over their comrades
heroes dont blame others for their weaknesses
heroes know their own limits &stop before they hurt others
heroes dont forget that they serve &represent those who count on them
most of all--- heroes make sure no one is left behind

Ok first and foremost this article that was written by someone from the Canadian press days after the hearing in Halifax back in February, and was just sent to me from another vet. I can't believe they would use a headline "veterans support Lawyers $66.6-million legal fee" WTF where in the hell did they get this from, just because there were a few mc lovers at the hearing there definitely was no overwhelming applause for this $66.6M fee, BAD PRESS AND BAD MISREPRESENTATION OF THE MAJORITY OF CLASS.

Federal lawyers argued Friday that attorneys who won a class-action lawsuit for disabled veterans shouldn't get $66.6 million in fees despite criticism from the former military members that Ottawa alone caused the case to drag through the courts.

Dozens of veterans and their spouses listened to the final arguments in federal court on the proposed $887.8 million dollar settlement between the former military members and the federal government over their clawed backed pension benefits.

Judge Robert Barns reserved his decision on whether to approve the deal, which was reached last month after a five year legal fight

The crown argued that the three lawyers who took on the case on behalf of 7,500 veterans were charging 21 times the normal hourly rate for their services over a five years.

But one veteran dismissed the claim , saying the federal government challenged the case every step of the way and rejected repeated attempts to settle it without going to court.

"The federal government took our money from us and now they are trying to tell us how to spend our money", Steve Dornan, who has post traumatic stress disorder and incurable cancer, said outside the hearing room.

"So, you don't want us to have the money in the first place. Now your telling us we are spending too much on our lawyers that got us the money. It's ridiculous."

Dennis Manuge launched the lawsuit in 2007 on behalf of himself and other Canadian veterans whose long term disability benefits were reduced by the amount of the monthly veterans affairs disability pensions they received.

The federal government fought the initial class action certification, appealed a certification in 2008 and didn't alter the clawback after it was condemned by the military ombudsman, the senate and through a motion ion the house of commons that said the offset should end.

The federal court ultimately ruled last spring that it was unfair of the federal government to treat pain and suffering awards as income.

Defense Minister Peter MacKay said the government wouldn't appeal and appointed a negotiator to cut a deal.

The legal fees became a contentious issue last week after MacKay called them "grossly excessive," which crown attorney Paul Vickery restated on the last day of the two-day hearing.

Vickery said the three principle lawyers handling the veterans case logged about 8.600 hours and that the hourly rate for one of them amounted to about $13,400.

"This fee request is plainly excessive and should not be approved," he told the judge.

He argued in other large class action lawsuits , like the $4 billion native residential school and the $2 billion tainted blood settlements, lawyers were paid a far lower rate.

The settlement of the class action suit in residential schools could see as much as $85 million to $100 million paid to lawyers, while the tainted blood scandal saw a $52 million legal bill.