How a lawyer will help you at your Social Security Disability Hearing

 Services your Social Security attorney can provide: 

Social Security recognizes the need for individuals to have representation. In fact, they encourage you to seek a lawyer. Navigating the process and regulations of Social Security can be confusing to the lay person. Hiring an attorney will not only relieve a significant amount of stress,  but will also put you one step ahead of the disability process.

Hiring an attorney doesn’t cost you anything out of pocket. The Social Security Administration regulates all fees an attorney is allowed to collect for disability claims. These fees are contingency-based, meaning your attorney will only get paid if they can secure your disability benefits.

Deciding on an attorney to represent you in your Social Security Disability case is a scary proposition. You have to be able to trust someone to represent your interest. I think it is important to interview a few lawyers and find one that you are comfortable talking with. Discussing your medical problems, especially your mental health, is a very private matter. 

You need to trust your attorney. The two of you have a common goal and must work together to reach that goal. You may be in a dire financial situation. You’re not working or working very little. You are struggling with your health conditions and wondering how you are going to pay your bills. Your attorney should be taking some of your stress away.  A lack of trust in this attorney-client relationship is not healthy for you or the attorney. I as your attorney want to do everything possible to win your case so that I can get paid. If I do not win, I do not get paid. 

In my practice, I find the biggest source of frustration from new clients who have withdrawn from a prior representation, is the lack of communication from their prior representative. When a client says to me their prior representative never explained the process or gave them updates on their claim I am rarely surprised to hear they were working with a national company rather than a local attorney. As I said above, you should trust your representative. If you don’t trust them because you are not able to contact them or for whatever other reason, weigh the pros and cons of seeking new representation. Often times with the national firms you are talking to an assistant  or if your lucky a paralegal. Most of the time with the national companies you meet your attorney for the first time on the day of the hearing. If your lucky, the attorney will call you the night before to prepare you for the hearing. 

Your attorney should also gather updated medical records for your upcoming hearing. There may be times when it is easier and/or more cost affective to get your own medical records. 

If you need to go to a hearing before an administrative law judge you should expect that your attorney will prepare you for the hearing. Preparation is key to winning your case. You should know what to expect and confirming a complete medical history is submitted to the Judge. You should go over the types of questions that will be asked at the hearing. An important aspect of the hearing is for you to be a good witness. Your attorney should go over the types of questions that will be asked of you and the best way to provide a truthful and thorough explanation of your situation. 

It is also important for your attorney to be as familiar with the judge you have and what to expect from that judge. Some judges like to ask most of the questions at the hearing, some do not. Some judges try to trick you, most do not. 

Sometimes after the hearing the judge will want either more medical records or a medical source statement from one of the doctors. The attorney can get that if possible or work with the Client in obtaining what is necessary. 

If you need helping applying for Social Security Disability or SSI, please contact me at joshben99@gmail.com. I have over 20 years experience with Social Security Disability cases.

Location: United States

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