How Do You Evaluate A Ssd Attorney

[spike]

How do you find if the attorney is a good attorney or just blowing smoke up you know what.....here are the self proclaimed credentials of an attorney i hired ahead of time, to not wait for denial and appeals. Sorry this cut and paste didnt work as I would like it.

My practice is concentrated in disability claims, (Social Security, Railroad Retirement, New York State and Local Employees Retirement, private long-term disability). • I am a former Social Security Claims Representative (nonmedical claim adjudication), and a former Social Security State Agency Disability Analyst (medical claim adjudication). One job is federal, the other state. By chance, I am one of a very few people in the country who has done both jobs. • I have over twenty years of experience in Social Security disability claims. Between government service and private practice, I have been principally involved in the adjudication of approximately four thousand disability claims. • I am admitted to practice in the U.S. Court of appeals for the Second Circuit, and the U.S. District Court, Western District of New York. The infrequency with which I must appear in court is a measure of my success at the administrative claims level. • I am a Sustaining Member of the National Organization of Social Security Claimants' Representatives, and a member of the Social Security Law Committee of the American Trial Lawyers' Association. • I have given numerous lectures to attorneys, and have given other lectures and appeared on public information radio, speaking on the subject of Social Security and disability claims. • I give very frequent informal advice to numerous attorneys on the subject of Social Security and disability claims, as those topics impact upon a wide range of matters such as personal injury and child support. I appear "of counsel" to assist less experienced attorneys in hearings. I also give pro bono advice to advocacy groups for the disabled, such as the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. • I am past committee chair of the Erie County Bar Association Committee for the Disabled. In that capacity I have donated my time to arrange continuing legal education seminars on the the subject of disability law.

[tdak]

The credentials sound good to me. I would be more apt to use a prior claims rep. You should call them and ask what their success rate is.

My thought is that they don't get any money if you don't, so they are in it to win. They get 25% of your backpay and I think the max is $5300. Me personally, I filed my claim without a lawyer (still waiting by the way, 7 months) and now if I get denied I will then I will hire an attorney. I figure if I file and win all the $ is mine and I do not have to share, on the other hand waiting can be a long road. You have to weigh each side and figure which way to go.

Good luck to you.

[Pete53]

The fact that SSD attorneys are limited to 5300 or 25% of retro is a good thing. I hope that the Lawyers that a Veteran can hire are the same.

If a Lawyer takes your case its a good claim.

Good Luck

[carlie]

In Fla. I retained Ward, White and Associates prior to filing my SSD claim.

I still did lots of work, got my 1st denial, had an ALJ hearing that I did not and chose not to attend, then was granted SSD - fully favorable. The law firm got 25 % of my 1st check, (I got the $ first then sent them their fee) this provided me a little piece of mind, perhaps without them I would have had more denials, I'll never know.

jmho,

carlie

[Pete53]

Carlie:

You can't look back. Peace of mind means a lot.

Pete