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CAN A LAWYER / ADVOCATE HELP YOU IN DISABILITY HEARINGS?

 HOW A LAWYER INCREASES YOU ODDS

 

 

There are many things a trained disability advocate or lawyer can do for you in a disability claim.  The biggest reason to have a lawyer or advocate is that you are 3 times as likely to be approved when using one.

As with all levels of applying for SSI and SSDI, it is not required that you have attorney representation. However, the hearing before an Administrative Law Judge is your BEST chance of being approved for Social Security benefits. During this stage your chances of being approved are highly improved by having an attorney that is skilled with disability law. Only an experienced lawyer or advocate will understand the difficult and confusing concepts discussed at the hearing.  If you don't have a lawyer you will probably understand very little of what goes on at your hearing.

Before your hearing your attorney can prepare you for the questions you will be asked at the hearing. A vocational expert will be at the hearing. Their job is to determine if there are any jobs in the economy that you may be able to perform. A disability expert is equipped to represent you and explain why you deserve benefits under the regulations.  Your lawyer may cross examine Social Security's vocational expert, which is often crucial for a favorable decision.

The vocational expert is likely to fish up some "easy" jobs that you can still perform:  eye glass polisher, copy collator, food and beverage order clerk, telephone order taker, etc.  If the judge finds that you are indeed able to perform one of these jobs, your claim will be denied.  Your lawyer can often bring the judge and vocational expert back into reality by pointing out why you really cannot perform those jobs.

In my practice, I see areas in almost every hearing where the claim would have been denied if a trained advocate were not there. 

THE FORSYTHE FIRM

(256) 503-8151

 

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