Social Security is meant to provide benefits for people with disabilities, such as those who are hurt and cannot work. However, in order to receive these benefits, the person filing a claim has to go through an extensive process of paperwork, appeals, and hearings, and that’s where a Social Security attorney comes in for:
1. Filing a disability claim
The process of receiving Social Security benefits starts with a claim, which your attorney will file with the Social Security Administration. Although you could theoretically file this paperwork yourself, having legal representation takes the responsibility out of your hands and ensures that you have support from the start.
2. Guiding you through the process
While you are waiting for a decision on your claim, it’s your attorney’s job to explain the process to you and help you to understand what to expect. Initial claims usually take several months to be processed, and during that time period, you will have the support of your lawyer to help you through. If your case requires a hearing, the process can take a year or two, so having support and guidance is essential.
3. Appealing your claim
A staggering 70% of claims are denied initially, and in order to combat this, your attorney will file a request for reconsideration, which involves further paperwork and communication with the Social Security Administration. However, 85% of requests for reconsideration are also denied, at which point your attorney will request a hearing, in which he or she will present your case before a judge.
4. Preparing your case
Preparing for a hearing takes extensive work, from gathering medical documents to writing an argument and brief on your behalf. Your attorney will be in contact with the Social Security office and the hearing office to schedule your hearing and receive the proper paperwork from both, and will also talk to your medical office to obtain current medical records to prove that you are disabled. One of the aspects of the case that the attorney will handle is examination of the exhibit list, which is provided as a comprehensive list of all evidence presented at the hearing. Your lawyer will also submit a brief to the judge, plan out what to say at the hearing and how to respond to questioning.
5. Presenting you at your hearing
This is the most obvious part of what a lawyer does – arguing your case before a judge, so that you have the greatest chance at receiving benefits from your claim. Attorneys interact with the judge and with expert witnesses that are called in to testify, and support your claim to the end.
A Social Security lawyer in Grove City can help you, at various stages in the process, making things easier.
