Often it is the people that need help the most who are the ones that can least afford to get help. A good example of this principle would be applying for Social Security Disability benefits. There are many people on disability and many more that should be receiving benefits. Numerous times, people who deserve disability benefits do not receive them. One of the things that improves your chances as you go through the process of applying for disability benefits is to have the help of an experienced Social Security Disability lawyer.
There are many reasons that people chose not to use a lawyer in their disability application process. Some people simply do not see the need. They think that they are capable of going through the process themselves, and finding out all the requirements without help. In an instance like this, however, where two thirds of all claims are initially denied, any possible thing that will improve your chances is a good idea. Statistically, having a Social Security Disability lawyer represent you will improve your chances no matter where you are in the claims and appeals process.
There are also many people who would love to have the assistance of a Social Security Disability lawyer, but think that they can not afford it. Many times these individuals are not working and have little or no income. It would normally be very difficult to hire a lawyer in these circumstances. That is why lawyers who help with disability benefits work on a contingency basis. This is a requirement from the Federal government and is enforced by the Social Security Administration. Your lawyer is not allowed to charge you anything for their services without getting it approved first by the Social Security Administration. The only exception to this is the payment of expenses your lawyer incurs. For example, your lawyer may have to pay a fee to get the necessary copies of your medical records.
The Social Security Administration has set up some rules for how a representative may be paid. An SSD lawyer is not allowed to charge anything upfront. The lawyer will only be paid on a contingency basis, which means that if you do not win your claim, than the lawyer does not get paid. This is great news for you because it guarantees that your Social Security Disability attorney will be doing everything they can to get your claim accepted, if for no other reason than that they would like to be compensated.
Even after your claim is approved, you are not responsible to make payments to your disability lawyer out of your monthly benefit payments. Your disability lawyer will receive their pay as a percentage of the back pay that you are awarded. The Social Security Administration has put a cap on the amount your Social Security disability lawyer can charge you. The lawyer will receive up to 25% of your back pay up to $6,000. This means that if you are awarded a substantial back pay award, your Social Security Disability lawyer cannot even take a full 25% of your check. After you win your claim, the Social Security Administration usually takes care of paying your lawyer for you by extracting the payment from your back pay.
Think about it this way: it is a classic case of two heads being better than one. There are that many more people available to find and fix mistakes. Plus, your Social Security Disability attorney or advocate has dealt with disability claims before, so they have a much better idea what to look for than most people. Having representation at your side by the time you are at the hearing process will increase your chances of winning your case from 40% to 60%. With all these benefits and not having to worry about paying your lawyer, how can you afford to not hire a qualified Social Security Disability lawyer?
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