How to choose a Social Security Disability Law Firm
If you have a claim for Social Security Disability Benefits, you need to have an experienced law firm on your side. There are several important questions you need to ask about any firm you are considering:
1. Is the company you are considering a law firm?
To be a Social Security representative, a person does not have to be a lawyer. Many companies which advertise as representatives not affiliated with lawyers and do not send lawyers to the hearing with their clients.
The decision to hire a lawyer is not a decision based on costs. Non lawyer representatives normally charge the same fee that lawyers charge. The charge is normally 25% of past due benefits and the charge is generally only paid if the representative is successful.
There is no way for you to tell anything about the experience of a non-lawyer representative. They have not been to law school, they have not taken a course in advocacy, and they cannot appeal your case to the federal courts if they lose your case. Most importantly, they do not have to be licensed.
If it costs no more to have a licensed lawyer representing you, why would you choose less in such an important matter?
2. Will the firm agree to represent you without charging any fees unless you win your case?
Under the Social Security law, an attorney normally charges 25% of past due benefits if the claim for benefits is won. If the law firm you are talking to is asking for more than 25% of past due benefits you should know that this is not the normal fee.
3. If you go to a hearing, will a lawyer attend the hearing with you?
All law firms that represent claimants in Social Security Disability cases have to use paralegals as case managers to handle the immense amount of paper which is generated by these cases.
However, there is a line that you must draw when you are dealing with paralegals in a lawfirm setting. Many lawfirms send their paralegals to the final evidentiary hearing on their social security claims. A lawyer does not attend the final hearing.
In our firm, no client goes to any Social Security hearing without a person who is fully trained in the law and qualified under government regulations to represent claimants at these hearings. The Administrative Law Judge, who is also the government’s representative, is a trained lawyer. We insist that a person trained in the law be with our client at this most important hearing.