Help with Initial Disability Claims

I am sometimes contacted by potential clients who have not yet filed for disability, or have filed and have not yet received an initial determination. I greatly enjoy working with these folks, and the results have been very gratifying. The people I guide through the initial application process are approved at a much higher rate than the average claimant. This is mostly because common mistakes are avoided.

In my opinion, a claimant over the age of 55 benefits the most from a lawyer's advice at the application stage, because a proper description in the disability application of past relevant work is a critical aspect of the claim.

The initial application stage usually takes about 4 months. If that initial claim is denied, it is likely to be a year or more in Maine or New Hampshire before you have an ALJ hearing for your claim. The wait for a hearing is even longer in most other states. So consider calling a Social Security disability attorney for help with your initial application.

Comments

[Steve Butler]

I also represent Social Security Disability Claimants at the Initial Application stage of the Social Security Disability process and agree with Gordon's assessment. There are very important details that must be reviewed when any application for disability benefits is filed, and it helps to have an experienced eye review the materials and make sure that the process is understood. By having help from the beginning, the hope is that you never have to worry about the appeals process or the dreadful backlog that has been receiving so much attention in the press.

[Gordon]

Thanks for your comment. You are absolutely right. In addition to assisting with the claim, a lawyer can make sure that the process is understood by the client. Understanding the process makes it much easier to handle as a claim progresses.