When should you hire a disability benefits attorney?

That’s the question many people have when they become disabled. It’s a frightening time for anyone. You can’t work, and you need help making ends meet – even, sometimes, with help from your family.

In these cases, a disability benefits attorney may be able to help you and your family. Here, we’ll talk about when to go looking for a disability lawyer and what he or she can do for you.

When You Need a Disability Lawyer

Most people turn to a disability lawyer when they’re trying to get Social Security disability benefits and they’ve been denied.

There are two different kinds of SSA (Social Security Administration) benefits:

1. Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)
2. Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

You don’t have to have a lawyer to apply for either. Most people apply on their own for SSDI or SSI, and the two have a very similar application process.

You may need a lawyer if your application has been denied. There are many reasons why the SSA will deny a claim for benefits. Each case is different. No matter what the reason, you have the right to appeal the decision.

This is when hiring a Social Security disability lawyer can help. You’ll either need a lawyer or a non-lawyer disability representative. Neither should charge you anything; both a lawyer and a non-lawyer rep will get paid a certain fee out of your benefits for helping you, so there’s no upfront cost for you to talk to either.

We recommend hiring a lawyer because we tend to have more experience arguing cases in a legal setting. We are also required if you want to send your appeal to a federal district court. Non-lawyer representatives can’t represent you there, and these cases often make it to that level

What a Disability Lawyer Can Do for You

Once hired, a lawyer helps gather all documentation supporting your case. We want to document everything – from medical records to opinions from your doctors – that could possibly support your claim.

We’ll also walk you through what the process will look like, making sure you know in advance what to expect. We’ll file the claim on your behalf and represent you during the hearing, which will be in front of judges who handle disability cases.

If the first appeal is rejected, we can take your appeal to the next level, until we’ve exhausted all avenues. During the way, we’ll fight as hard for you as we would ourselves and our family, which is the highest standard a lawyer can claim.

Going through the disability benefits process can be frightening, but it doesn’t have to be. Contact a disability lawyer to see what you can do for your case and get the benefits you need.