There are many reasons to hire an attorney to help you with your Social Security Disability Appeal. One reason is that it is your responsibility to provide Social Security with your medical records. Asking your doctor to send in your records does not work and Social Security will not get your records for you. Doctor’s offices will usually not give a patient their real medical record, and it takes an attorney get anything more than a few pages of discharge notes.
Another important reason is that an attorney knows the rules and definitions used by Social Security. For example, Social Security and regular people mean two very different things when they say “disabled.” Showing up to your hearing with a note from your doctor saying that you are disabled will not do anything to help your case. Your ability to be on your feet for very long has no impact on your case until you turn 50. A lawyer knows exactly what Social Security is looking for, and can help provide that.
Finally, a Social Security lawyer knows what to expect. They know the procedure of the hearing. They know the deadline for submitting evidence. They know when the brief must be filed. They have access to the electronic folder and can interpret the documents inside. Having someone on your side who has already been through the process hundreds of times is absolutely invaluable.
