Should You Hire a Disability Lawyer?

Lawyer

If you are planning to file a disability claim and want to win your case, hiring an SSI disability lawyer is the key.  SSI or Supplemental Security Income is a needs-based disability program for people with limited resources and low income. It is different from Social Security Disability Insurance or SSDI, which benefits those who worked and paid the insurance. Some people are entitled to the disability benefits from these two Social Security Administration (SSA) programs.

Here are the top reasons why you should hire an SSI disability attorney:

Knowledgeable and professional

An expert legal representative knows how to handle your SSI claim using proper medical evidence. Having an expert advocate to help you go through the process helps you avoid submitting irrelevant information that is not considered during the judicial hearing.

• He knows how to develop a winning strategy that is most favorable to you.
• He will be with you during the initial application, providing sound advice on the ‘alleged onset date’ of your disability.
• He will guide you to focus on relevant facts that conform to Social Security requirements.
• He will prove that you meet the Social Security’s list of impairments in their ‘blue book’. The narrow definition of ‘disabled’ means proving that your severe medical impairment has lasted for at least 12 months.

Expert at the process

An experienced SSI disability lawyer can help you get your claim approved and get the money you deserve. He can evaluate your financial situation along with your work history and income. All these factors are vital to understanding the extent of benefits you should be getting. With a trusted attorney to represent your claim, you will avoid committing mistakes or giving up benefits that are due to you.

• He will collect the necessary medical evidence, including a professional opinion from your attending doctor, and submit a detailed document to the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ),
• He will help you complete and file your application, with all the necessary attachments that give your application the best shot of being approved.
• He will prepare you to become ready for the judge’s questioning at the hearing and reconsideration levels.
• He will get your testimony during the hearings and cross-examine a medical expert or a vocational expert to prove that your ability to work is affected because of your condition.

In case that your previous appeal was denied and you want to make an appeal, hiring a lawyer is the best option. He can work on a strong legal argument to convince the Social Security Administration to reconsider your claim based on the medical evidence.

Familiarity with how the Administrative Law Judges conduct hearings

With successful cases on his sleeve, your attorney knows how every ALJ conducts the hearings and who has biases about some medical conditions. This knowledge and familiarity help your lawyer prepare a persuasive argument to help you win your case.

• He also knows how to explain some ‘bad facts’ in the medical records to the ALJ, knowing that they are harmful to your case. “Bad facts” can be a doctor’s professional opinion that you are exaggerating some symptoms and not really ‘disabled.’ Another example is the inability to follow a treatment plan or not seeing the doctor for regular check-ups for a long time.
• He is trained to counter testimonies that can affect the success of the disability claim by providing supportive opinions and will pose questions during cross-examinations.

Keeps your application moves forward

It takes time to know if your disability claim is approved. Usually, the waiting period is between 4 and 6 months. If your application is denied, the process to appeal can be a little longer. Your attorney will prompt you if there is an additional request for documents or information. He will keep you posted on the status of your application.

Takeaway

With all these advantages, getting an SSI disability attorney is a smart decision. But, how will it cost you? Most of the law firms or lawyers in this niche do not ask for upfront professional fees. They get a share of the money awarded by Social Security, which is up to a maximum amount of $6,000 or limited to 25% of your retroactive benefits. If you do not get your money, you don’t owe anything to your lawyer.