6 Questions to Ask a Social Security Disability Attorney Before Hiring
If you have been diagnosed with a physical and/or mental condition that’s preventing you from working in any capacity, you may be wondering what types of questions to ask a Social Security Disability attorney before deciding whether or not to hire her or him.
My name is Kaitlin Wildoner, and I’m an attorney who helps disabled clients obtain their disability benefits as quickly as possible so they can focus on getting better. Today we’re going to discuss six questions that you may want to consider asking your Social Security Disability attorney before hiring him or her.
1. Do You Have Experience Handling Cases Like Mine?
You will want to know if they have experience in handling cases that are similar to yours. Oftentimes for cases such as back injuries and anxiety and depression, an attorney is likely to have experience in that. However, if you have a unique condition, you’ll want to know if the attorney has experience with that condition—and if not, what they plan to do to get up to speed so that they can effectively represent you and your interests in your disability case.
2. How Will You Communicate With Me About My Case?
You’ll also want to ask how they plan to communicate with you about the progress of your case.
Some attorneys rely on phone calls, others emails, and still others client portals. At Beacon Disability, we do use all three depending on what the situation is to try to get the best information to you as quickly as possible.
3. What Fees Will I Be Responsible For?
You’ll want to ask them what fees you will be responsible for.
Typically, Social Security Disability attorneys are paid on a contingency fee basis, which means that they only get paid if and when you are approved for Social Security Disability benefits. However, there may be additional fees that you’re responsible for—such as fees for obtaining medical records, postage, and similar expenses.
4. How Do You Prepare Clients for a Hearing?
You’ll want to ask how the attorney typically prepares their clients for a hearing before an administrative law judge. The hearing can be an important and nerve-wracking part of the case, and it’s important to know a little bit ahead of time about what to expect from the attorney—and how much time they or their staff spend with you in preparation for the hearing.
5. Will You Help Me Obtain Medical Documentation?
You might also want to ask: Will they provide guidance and assistance in obtaining medical documentation to support your claim? Different firms handle this differently, and it’s important that you speak with them so everybody’s on the same page and everybody together understands how the medical documentation gets received and submitted to Social Security.
6. How Long Will My Case Take?
Finally, you can always ask them how long they expect your case to take before a decision is made. However, the attorney may not be able to answer that. In fact, if you’ve called our office anytime in the last year, I will usually tell you: I have no idea. But I then back my “I have no idea” with additional supporting statements such as, “Last year we had seen a year take from when we would submit an application or a reconsideration appeal before we got an answer. Now we’re seeing that happen a little bit quicker.”
So, they may not be able to give a direct answer like, “It takes three months and 15 days and then we can expect to have a decision. If we’re at three months and 21 days, we have a problem.” They may not be able to give an answer like that—but they can likely give you a general timeline of what to expect, with the caveat that it’s always subject to change.
If you’re disabled and unable to work, we’re here to help. Click this scheduling link or call us directly to schedule a free consultation where we’ll discuss your case and see how we can help you.
