You can be eligible to get SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) benefits if you can prove that you are not able to work for a long time or ever again due to an illness or injury. This can be an overwhelming and frustrating process. The timeframes and loads of paperwork to organize often scare and discourage people. Although you can apply for the benefit by yourself, chances are that you miss something and you are denied by omission – to name one of the less serious scenarios-. However, for a second appeal, it is highly recommended to hire an attorney, here is why.
SSD First Application: With or Without Attorney?
The first application for SSDI benefits is commonly carried out by the client without the support of a professional attorney. It is always suggested to get professional help from the beginning, to ensure a smooth and straightforward process. However, you can decide to do it by yourself and you might get accepted without any obstacles on the way. If that was your case, you are one of the luckiest. Statistics show that only around 30% of the initial applications are approved, and this is because the claimant meets a listing from the Listing of Impairments or because they are seriously disabled. Once you get the help of an attorney, your chances to be approved increase at each level of the process. The attorney won’t guarantee success but will raise your probability of getting the benefit.
But, What If You Get a Denial?
Your first application for SSDI benefits can be denied for many reasons. Two of the most common justifications are omission or failure to present the paperwork accordingly. You missed one tick box, you wrote the wrong answer, you presented a document with a non-matching address, and on, and on, and on. If your application is not successful you will get a notification explaining the reasons for the denial and notifying you that you can appeal to this decision. These notifications are often fairly stressful mainly because they are hard to understand. What did you do wrong to get a negative response?
Here is when getting your attorney will make all the difference for the next step ahead! According to the professionals of LaPorte Law Firm laportelawfirm.com/our-locations/san-jose/, an attorney at this point will analyze your application and identify the issues that made it unsuccessful. Then, the attorney, with extensive experience presenting cases to the SSA (Social Security Administration), will advise the best way to appeal and support you in every single step of the process. Hiring professionals increase the chances to get approved in the reconsideration hearing.
Yeah, very interesting. But, you can not afford a lawyer!
Hiring an attorney for an SSDI Benefits application sounds expensive. People think that just stepping into a lawyer’s office will cost them a kidney and they can not afford to pay these people for something they can do by themselves. Although that’s the common way of thinking, it is not necessarily the truth. Yeah, you could carry out the initial appeal by yourself and be granted the benefits. But it is more likely that you will miss something or place some paperwork in the wrong file, and just because of that, you will be getting a negative notification from the Social Security Administration.
The attorney won’t cost you a fortune. Most Law Firms have a first free consultation where they can check the case and advise you on the best options for your process. If you finally decide to get their help, you won’t be taking money out of your pocket to pay their fees. It is only a matter of procedure costs such as medical examination and fees for requesting documents, while the attorney will be paid only if your case is successful. The attorney will receive their fees directly from the Social Security Administration which is 25% of what you are entitled to receive and is money that is not pulled out from your pocket.
Embarking on an appealing process to claim for SSDI benefits sounds a burden, expensive, and too complicated. It is a delicate procedure, no doubt, but it is achievable. The attorneys are waiting for you and your case, willing to put the best service on the table and support your journey to getting the benefits you deserve. The attorney is like a safe space where you can pour all of your worries and they can translate them into solutions. If it is in your possibilities, don’t hesitate in hiring one and make your life easier!
