Foreign and International Legal, Legal Advice, Legal Guides, Legal Research & Law Practice, News and Announcements

Am I Required to Hire an SSDI Lawyer Before Applying?

The law doesn’t require you to retain a Social Security Disability lawyer in order to apply for benefits. There are some good reasons why you should probably do that though. Two of those reasons are providing insufficient medical records to support a claim and mistakes in the application itself. That’s unlikely to happen when you’re represented by a qualified Social Security Disability lawyer though.

What if My Application for SSDI Was Denied?

If you applied for SSDI on your own and without the benefit of an experienced SSDI lawyer, it’s likely that the reason was that there was insufficient medical evidence that you couldn’t work because of a disabling condition. Indeed, you have the right to file an appeal of your denial, but take notice that you only have 60 days from the time that you receive the denial for the appeal. Any such appeal must be in writing.

You Don’t Want to Lose Twice

Properly starting the appeal process of a denial of SSDI benefits is known as a request for reconsideration. A knowledgeable and experienced Social Security disability law firm Orlando advises that with new and convincing medical evidence, it’s likely that your reconsideration request will be denied again. A decision could be made in four to 12 weeks. Then, the next step would be for a hearing in front of an administrative law judge. You have another 60 days from the date of reconsideration denial to file your appeal. It could take a year or more to get a decision on a hearing.

You don’t want to go through reconsideration or a hearing on your own. Your benefits, housing, food, and utilities are far too important to risk. A qualified and effective Social Security Disability attorney should have all of the necessary resources that you need.