Hiring a Disability Lawyer to File for Social Security is a Good Idea, Here’s Why.
In a nutshell: Hiring a disability lawyer to file for Social Security will help your approval odds. You may wonder how you will afford the cost of representation.
Cost is always a consideration, but it might surprise you to learn that you don’t owe a penny until your case is won.
That is because lawyers often take these cases on a contingency basis. This means you can receive the legal care you need, without the out-of-pocket cost.
How do contingency fees work?
Disability claims can take several months for the Social Security Administration (SSA) to process. At Lamar Law Office, we understand that your disability may prevent you from earning a regular income.
This would make keeping up with payments during that “waiting period” difficult. A contingency fee means you owe nothing until your claim is approved.
Here’s how contingency fees work: you will pay your attorney by giving them a percentage of your backpay.
Keep this in mind: Your attorney can receive no greater than 25 percent or $6,000 from the contingency fee on disability cases. A few exceptions apply, but this is most often the case.
Now that the question of cost is out of the way, let’s go over the advantages of hiring an attorney to manage your claim.
With an expert, there is no wasted time
Think about it: Disability lawyers file these types of claims for a living. When preparing your initial claim, a lawyer can help collect the necessary records. Leaving out anything “extra” will improve the likelihood that your claim will be approved, and speed up processing time.
Disability claims require obtaining medical records. A disability attorney will know which medical records to include in your application. Also, medical professionals are usually more willing to work with an attorney to get the evidence needed to strengthen your claim.
Did you know that the SSA denies 70 percent of disability claims? It is possible your initial claim will be denied even with an attorney’s representation.
If this happens, your lawyer will be able to interpret the reasons for the denial. By making adjustments, they will give you the best chance at approval with your appeal.
After being denied, people often make the mistake of redoing their application rather than submitting an appeal. This lowers their chances of approval.
If you are in this situation, it is not too late to hire a disability attorney to guide you through the appeals process. Only 15 percent of appeals are approved, so working with an attorney is crucial at this stage.
When applying for disability benefits, the old axiom “time is money” rings true. When you hire an attorney, the sooner you can get your claim approved, and the sooner you can start receiving your benefits. In this case especially, lost time due to inexperience costs you money.
Legal care from the experienced attorneys at Lamar Law Office ensures the best experience when applying for disability benefits. Still, the process can become long and complicated. Here’s a general timeline:
When should I call a lawyer?
As you can see from the timeline, a claimant that is denied their first appeal will have to appear in court. At that point, the process will take years instead of months.
Statistically, fewer and fewer claims are approved as you move down the timeline. Therefore, you should call a lawyer as early as possible to maximize your time and your chances of approval.
Hiring a disability lawyer will improve your chances of approval
According to a 2017 government study, applicants who hired an attorney were approved 3 times more often than those who did not. In other words, hiring a lawyer will raise your approval odds by 300 percent. Who wouldn’t take that bet?
Request a free consultation
More than legal service… we care. If you are in need of Social Security Disability benefits and are planning to apply, call Lamar Law Office for a free consultation.