Should I get a Lawyer for Social Security Disability?
Family Law & Disability Law Firm

After having represented over a thousand clients before the Social Security Administration, I am confident that you are almost always better off with representation. Going through the process alone can be difficult and stressful.  There are various rules that can effect whether you are approved and how much money you will receive and although some people within SSA are great at explaining the rules to claimants, most of them are not willing or able to make sure your claim is treated in a way that best serves you.  When applying for Social Security benefits, most people get denied their first time around. Approximately, 70% of claimants are denied.  Although the majority of cases we get approved are approved at hearing, we often get people approved at application or reconsideration without the need for a hearing that can take over three years to get to.  These cases are often cases that would likely be denied if issues were not spotted or evidence was not developed early enough by our Panama City disability lawyers.  Attorneys do not get paid unless you get paid. If we win your case, the Social Security Administration (SSA) uses 25% of your backpay (but never more than $6,000) to pay your legal fees.  In other words, you will never pay over $6,000 no matter how much money is recovered for you.  A Panama City disability attorney can recover benefits worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, even millions of dollars depending on your medical needs.  But generally speaking, you will never pay more than $6,000 for representation.

 

There are several reasons that having an attorney is better than being represented by a non-attorney. For an attorney to practice law, they need a bachelor’s degree (B.S), a juris doctorate degree (J.D), and an admission to a state bar (passing state bar exam as well as the in-depth background check associated with bar admission). Non- attorney representatives, are not required to have near the education or qualifications of attorney representatives.  The pros of hiring a Panama City disability attorney are as follows: attorneys are sworn to confidentiality and all communication is protected by the attorney-client privilege. Also, attorneys are bound to professional conduct rules and ethical commitments and risk serious sanctions for violating such rules. Based on their training, attorneys can spot and solve legal issues. They can also produce theories that can help win your case. Attorneys can appeal your case at a federal district court level unlike non-attorneys.  And your Panama City disability attorney will not cost you any more than a non-attorney representative.

If an attorney is licensed, they can practice any type of law. The downside to hiring a general attorney is that they may not have near the specialization experience as a disability specialist. A general attorney can be troubling unless they are specialized in disability law. If you want an attorney to assist with your Social Security appeal, make sure they specialize in disability law like Panama City disability attorney Matt Liebenhaut.