Social Security Disability Lawyer to Apply and Appeals

On this page, I will explain how a Social Security disability lawyer can help you at every stage of the process from application through all of the different appeals. Let me first start by saying many lawyers will not take an SSDI or SSI case at application. I believe the reason for this is because an attorney's fee is based on a percentage of past due benefits. Therefore, if you win at application there is normally very little past due benefits since it usually takes between 3 to 6 months to get a decision. I and other disability lawyers take a different approach, because we feel by taking cases as early in the process as possible, it will give the claimant a well prepared case that is complete and will have a better chance of winning. In other words, to have the best chance to win it must be done right from the beginning.  So whether you are applying for SSDI or appealing your Social Security Disability decision a lawyer can help you at any stage of the disability process.  If you have any questions and want to talk to a SSDI lawyer call me at 1-877-527-5529.

Lawyer for Social Security Disability Application

Having a lawyer at application is important because they can help you fill out your application and answer any questions you may have about how to answer questions on the forms. An attorney can also start collecting the medical evidence and other evidence that is important for your Social Security disability claim. Many people who apply without a lawyer will simply fill out and send in the paperwork and let Social Security get all the medical evidence. Often times, doctors will not respond to Social Security's requests for medical records and because the Social Security offices are so busy they often do not follow-up to get these records. A Social Security disability lawyer on the other hand will follow up to make sure your medical records are in your file so that when Social Security makes decision they will have all the information they need to make a fully informed decision.

Social Security Disability Appeal Lawyer

Many people wait until they are denied until they hire a lawyer for their appeal. After their first denial is probably when most people decide to get the help of an attorney for their Social Security disability appeal. A lawyer at this stage can look at your file and see what medical records were used by Social Security to determine that you were not disabled, and then figure out what additional medical evidence and doctors opinion evidence is needed to improve your chances of winning at the next step of the process whether that be reconsideration or a hearing.

If you have not hired a lawyer yet and you are at the hearing stage, then you will certainly want to give the idea of hiring a social security disability appeal lawyer a great deal of thought. I say this because you have already lost once and possibly twice and it will take at least a year if not longer before you get a hearing.  So how will attorney help in your social security disability appeal?  A good Social Security disability lawyer can be extremely helpful when your case is at the hearing stage of the process for several reasons. First, the lawyer will be able to look at your entire file and determine what is needed to improve your case before a judge. Second, if you have a particularly strong case an SSDI attorney can write a request for an on the record decision to the hearing office. This is a brief explaining why you are disabled without the need for a hearing. If a lawyer at the office of disability adjudication and review agrees and finds you disabled it can save you months and months of waiting for a hearing and decision to be made. Third, if you have a hearing it helps to have an experienced SSD or SSI lawyer by your side at the hearing. The attorney will ask questions and cross examine experts. The disability lawyer will also present your case to the judge and explain why you are disabled under Social Security rules. Lastly, if you lose your hearing, at least a lawyer was present and will be able to present a good appeal to the Appeals Council as to why the Administrative Law Judge made an error in his decision.

Having a lawyer for your request for review at the Appeals Council is extremely important because the Appeals Council will determine if the ALJ made any errors in his or her decision. An attorney knows the errors and rules that are most likely to get you a reversal or remand from the Appeals Council . The appealing lawyer will submit a brief as to why the ALJ erred in finding you not disabled at the hearing.  Figuring out how to spot errors and then apply the law is something that is not easy and is why lawyers go to school for many years.  I have been trying to figure out a way to explain on my websites how to handle an appeal to the Appeals Council but finally gave up the idea because it would be way to much information to explain in an easy to understand way.  There are simply way to many possibilities for any given ALJ decision.

Now if your case has not won yet and you are faced with having to take your case to the US District Court you are certainly going to want to consider a lawyer at this point. One problem is that many people who have not had a lawyer throughout the entire process will have a great deal of difficulty finding a lawyer to take their case to US District Court.  This is because if they were not working on your case from an earlier stage they would have to start from scratch. US District Court cases are extremely complex and require a great deal of legal research by the attorney and it is much more difficult for the lawyer if he was not involved in the case from an earlier point. Not all cases that lose at the Appeals Council should be taken to US District Court but it would be a good idea to discuss with a federal disability appeal lawyer if your case has a decent shot at winning at this level. A lawyer at US District Court does case research, writes a brief, and may have to appear in federal court opposite the government's attorney. The good news is that if you prevail in US District Court then oftentimes the government would have to pay your attorney fees.

SSDI Lawyer Fees

How much are the Social Security Disability lawyers fees?  I have given you just some of the reasons why hiring a lawyer for your application and appeals might be right for you. Another consideration which you will want to take into account is how much hiring a lawyer will cost you. Almost all SSDI and SSI lawyers charge 25% of past due benefits not to exceed $6000. This means the lawyer would be paid the lesser of the two amounts and only if he is able to win your case.  When you consider what is at stake in time and results an SSDI lawyer fees may be worth the cost to you. I hope this page helps in your decision-making process as to whether or not you want to hire a lawyer and when you should do so. If at any stage in the process you would like to speak to a disability lawyer feel free to call me at 1-877-527-5529 and ask for Karl.

If you have taken the time to find this website and read all of this information it is probably because you are considering handling your own Social Security disability or SSI claim or perhaps you just want to become more knowledgeable to give yourself a better chance of winning. I provide this information to help those who want to do it themselves or just want to know more about Social Security disability. I am not going to tell you you need a lawyer for every case. In fact, many people win their Social Security disability claim without a lawyer. However, if you do not fully understand the Social Security disability process, what you have to show to win, or feel an attorney will give you a better chance to win then hire a lawyer as early as you can in the SSDI or SSI process so you do not waste valuable time in getting your SSD or SSI benefits.