what to expect with your first meeting with disability lawyer

When you first get in touch with a disability lawyer, they will conduct an initial review of your case. If you’ve never applied for disability benefits, they will assess your eligibility for disability. But if you’ve already been denied, they will look at what went wrong with your application.

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What should I expect at my first meeting with my attorney?

Jul 31, 2018 · The Items You Should Bring to Your First Meeting With a Disability Lawyer. Here are some items to bring to your first meeting with a disability lawyer: Medical Records. Your medical records are vital to your Social Security disability application. The SSA has strict requirements as to what conditions qualify for benefits.

What happens when I first call a disability attorney?

We likely will not meet with you until four or five weeks before the hearing, but are happy to answer any question you have at any time. You Will Not Pay Until We Win We do not require any up-front payment from our disability clients. You will not owe us anything until you are approved for benefits and back pay.

How will my attorney determine if I meet a disability listing?

Mar 03, 2022 · In this meet, we will explain the disability process and ask you a few questions about your situation. It is not necessary that you bring anything with you, but the more organize you are to answer these questions, the better able we will be to determine your eligibility. You may want to write down what you know about the follow :

How can a disability lawyer Help you Win Your Case?

You can expect to be treated with respect and dignity as we work with you to learn your story and gather information about why you can no longer work. We will listen to your concerns, explain the legal process, do our best to answer all of your questions, and provide you with suggestions to strengthen your case and make your hearing go smoothly.

How do I prepare for a disability interview?

Prepare for Your Disability Interview with These 6 QuestionsDates, addresses and contact information of your previous employment. ... Information on Doctors and Medication. ... Household information. ... Supplemental Security Income (SSI) ... Current Living Situation. ... Sources of Income. ... A Number of Assets You Own. ... Written Statements.Apr 26, 2017

What questions do they ask for Social Security disability?

What Type of Questions Will Be Asked at Your Disability Interview?When did your condition become disabling?What is the contact information for your doctors?What are the dates of the visits to your doctors?What are the names of medications that you are currently taking?What medical tests have you undergone?Feb 26, 2021

How long does it take to get your first disability decision?

about 3 to 5 monthsGenerally, it takes about 3 to 5 months to get a decision. However, the exact time depends on how long it takes to get your medical records and any other evidence needed to make a decision.

What is the most a disability lawyer can charge?

$6,000First, the basics: Federal law generally limits the fees charged by Social Security disability attorneys to 25% of your backpay, or $6,000, whichever is lower. Back payments are benefits that accrued while you were waiting for Social Security to approve your case.

What should you not say in a disability interview?

Do not say things like, “I want to work” or “If I could work, I would.” By saying such statements, a judge may get the picture that you could possibly work. The point is that there are some people with extreme disabilities who do work but this is not the point that you should be making at your hearing.

How would you describe pain to a disability judge?

Pain is often hard to describe, but you should do your best to relate your pain as specifically as possible to the judge. This would include telling the judge what type of pain you experience (burning, stabbing, etc.), how often you experience it, and how you would quantify it (for example, on a scale of 1 to 10).

What are the stages of disability?

There are five stages of the disability application process:The initial application;Reconsideration level;Hearing level;Appeals council;Federal court.

What percentage of Social Security disability claims are approved?

The percentage of applicants awarded benefits at the initial claims level averaged 28 percent over the same period and ranged from a high of 37 percent to a low of 26 percent. The percentage of applicants awarded at the reconsideration and hearing levels are averaging 3 percent and 13 percent, respectively.

How do I pass a continuing disability review?

If you want to keep yours, here are some tips on how to pass a continuing disability review:Follow Your Treatment Protocol. ... Learn More About Your Condition. ... Answer the Short Form Honestly. ... Keep Copies of Your Medical Records. ... Inform the SSA of Any Change in Address.Apr 22, 2020

How far does SSI back pay go?

Retroactive benefits might go back to the date you first suffered a disability—or up to a year before the day you applied for benefits. For SSI, back pay goes back to the date of your original application for benefits.

How does SSDI calculate back pay?

Calculating SSDI Back Payments Count the months between your EOD and application date to determine retroactive months. The number of months between the EOD and approval date, minus the five-month waiting period, plus the retroactive months, times your monthly payment equals the total amount of back pay due.

How do I check my disability back pay?

Call the national Social Security Administration's toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213, to receive information about your retroactive payment. The line is open 24 hours a day for you to find out your claim status and if your back payment has been processed.

Your Free Initial Consultation in New Mexico

At Keller & Keller, we offer a free initial consultation to all of our disability clients. In this meeting, we will explain the disability process and ask you a few questions about your situation.

What We Will Do for You

If we believe you have a legitimate claim for disability after our initial free consultation, we will schedule another meeting to discuss your claim in more detail. At that point, we will tell you what you need to bring, which will include much of what is listed above.

You Will Not Pay Until We Win

We do not require any up-front payment from our disability clients. You will not owe us anything until you are approved for benefits and back pay. We will make sure you understand our fee structure before we take your case so that there are no surprises.

How Social Security Works

11st Time Applicants 2Reconsideration 3Hearing 4Appeals 5Federal Court Appeal 6Why Hire Us?

Download our Free Book

A free guide for people who are frustrated with trying to obtain Social Security Disability benefits. You will eliminate hours of stress, confusion, and uncertainty by reading this book.

What Will Happen When You Meet Your Attorney to Discuss Your Case

In the Houston office, we typically meet with you face to face about four to five weeks before your hearing takes place. This meeting usually lasts about one and a half to two hours, depending on the complexity of your case. In our Dallas office, the attorneys might have two separate and shorter meetings with you before the hearing.

How to Prepare for This Meeting

There are a few things you can do to help this meeting go smoothly. Please do the following:

What to do if your disability is denied?

If your claim gets denied at the initial application stage, you have the right to appeal the SSA’s decision. This is where an experienced disability lawyer can help you too. They can help you navigate the appeals process and file a request for reconsideration.

What happens if you have never applied for disability?

If you’ve never applied for disability benefits, they will assess your eligibility for disability. But if you’ve already been denied, they will look at what went wrong with your application. The information you’ll provide them about your denied disability is essential.

How to explain disability?

After gathering all the information about your disability, they can formulate a theory for why you are disabled. They will then use this theory to argue that: 1 your condition meets a disability listing 2 you cannot go back to your previous work or engage in any substantial gainful activity 3 your “limitations” prevent you from working 4 you cannot even do a sedentary type of work

What is the SSA disability determination process?

The SSA’s disability determinations process uses an evidence-based approach in granting disability benefits. They will want you to prove that your disability really prevents you from going back to work or doing any type of income-generating activity.

Who is Judy Ponio?

Judy Ponio is a writer for Victor Malca Law P.A. and enjoys helping people with questions about social security, workers compensation, and other serious matters involving people’s livelihood. She is not an attorney and her writing should not be considered legal advice.

Who is Victor Malca?

Victor Malca P.A. has over 25 years of litigation experience in Workers Compensation and Social Security Disability lawsuits. His experience and continued success in fighting for his clients puts among the most trusted workers’ compensation lawyers in Florida. Our area of expertise is in representing injured workers on compensation benefit cases and disabled individuals claim social security disability benefits.

How to prove disability?

Next, your attorney will develop a "theory" of why you are disabled under Social Security disability law. Your attorney will write a legal brief for the judge explaining the theory of the case. There are three main possible "theories" an attorney can use to do this. Your lawyer can: 1 prove that your condition meets a disability "listing" 2 prove that you "grid" out of all work (including not being able to do your past work) 3 prove that your non-exertional limitations prevent you from working, or 4 prove that your exertion level is " less than sedentary ."

Can an attorney represent you?

You must answer all of your attorney's questions as honestly as you can—even if the questions are embarrassing or you feel ashamed of the answers. Otherwise, your attorney cannot represent you effectively. Remember that your attorney is not there to judge you, but to help you win your claim.

What happens if you are denied a disability?

If your disability application is denied, there are four levels of appeal: reconsideration, administrative hearing, appeals council, and Federal District Court. Some disability attorneys handle appeals at every level; others will not. While you can certainly have different attorneys handle your case at each level, if you want continuity, ...

What is an administrative hearing?

Administrative hearings allow you to explain to the judge more about your disability and its impact on your ability to work. Not only will you have an opportunity to provide testimony, but the judge and the SSA attorney can ask you questions as well.

What is a contingency fee for disability?

Disability claims are handled on a contingency fee basis, which means the attorney is only paid if you are awarded benefits. The Social Security Administration (SSA), which administers the SSD program, establishes the fees disability lawyers may collect. So, regardless of which disability attorney ultimately you hire, ...