FAQ

BuddySign is a free web tool for veterans. Create a buddy/lay statement, send it to a witness for remote signature by email, and download a signed VA Form 21-10210 packet.

BuddySign is not a law firm, VSO, claims agent, medical provider, or VA system.

No. BuddySign is not affiliated with, endorsed by, approved by, or sponsored by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

BuddySign does not guarantee that VA will accept, process, grant, or assign any rating based on a document created through BuddySign.

These are written accounts from someone who has personal knowledge of a veteran's service, in-service events, or condition. VA may consider these statements as supporting evidence in a disability claim. The terms buddy statement, lay statement, and witness statement are often used interchangeably.

Yes. BuddySign is free during the public beta.

No. BuddySign does not submit forms, claims, evidence, or appeals to VA.

You are responsible for reviewing documents and submitting them to VA through the correct process.

No. BuddySign does not provide legal advice, claims representation, medical opinions, nexus opinions, or guarantees about VA claim outcomes.

A VSO, accredited claims agent, or attorney can provide claim-specific guidance.

No. BuddySign does not evaluate whether a statement is strong, complete, accurate, legally sufficient, or likely to help a VA claim. The veteran and witness are responsible for reviewing the statement for accuracy.

BuddySign makes no guarantees about VA decisions, ratings, outcomes, or deadlines. VA decides what evidence it accepts and how much weight to give it.

The witness or buddy must personally review and sign the statement.

The veteran should not sign for the witness. Do not apply a signature for someone else.

A witness should only sign if the statement is true and based on what they personally know, saw, heard, or observed.

The witness receives an email with a signing link. They open the link, read the statement, type their full name, and certify that it is true based on what they personally know, saw, heard, or observed. No account, password, download, or payment is required.

The witness must personally review the statement before signing. A witness should not sign a statement they do not believe is accurate.

The veteran is notified by email. The signed statement, the signing record, and the VA Form 21-10210 output are then available from the veteran's BuddySign dashboard to review and submit to VA.

For optional document output features, sensitive identification information you enter is used only to generate the requested output and is not retained by BuddySign after generation is complete.

Do not use BuddySign on a shared or public computer.

BuddySign uses reasonable technical safeguards including access controls and secure hosting. No system can be guaranteed completely secure. Use caution when entering, downloading, or sharing claim-related documents.

Email hello@buddysign.com with subject: Data Deletion Request. Do not include Social Security numbers, full medical records, or full VA claim files in your email. Deletion is handled manually and may not be immediate.

BuddySign does not submit anything to VA for you. You are responsible for submitting documents through the correct process — VA upload, mail, fax, VSO, attorney, or accredited claims agent.

No. BuddySign makes no guarantees about VA decisions, ratings, outcomes, or deadlines.

Some email providers may place login emails in spam or junk, especially Microsoft, Outlook, Hotmail, or Live accounts. Check your spam or junk folder if you do not see the login email.

BuddySign offers optional SMS notifications for witness signing links. SMS availability is limited during public beta, and email remains the default delivery method. SMS is used for transactional notifications only. Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out or HELP for help.

Email hello@buddysign.com.