Succeed in Your Disability Claim with the Help of a Local Lawyer
No one ever expects to become disabled and need help from the government. Unfortunately, many people are every year. In 2014, 64.2 million Americans depended on benefits they received from the Social Security Administration (SSA). That same year, 5.4 new people were added to the rolls. IF you are in the position to need to apply for benefits, you should talk to a local attorney about the process. Some people think they can just apply and then get the benefits but you are much more likely to be successful if you have a disability lawyer on your side.
1. Talk to people you know. The very best way to find quality products and services is to talk to the people in your life that you know and trust and get a personal recommendation. Given the number of people who become disabled every year, the chances are good that you know someone, or you know someone who knows someone who used a local attorney to file their disability claim. How did they find them and what did they think of working with them? Did they get the result they wanted? Do they know why?
2. Talk to any lawyers you know. Do you know any attorneys? Now, the person who handled your divorce is not going to be able to help you with your disability claim but they may know someone who can. Lawyers know other lawyers and if you had a good experience with them, you can get some good information about disability lawyers in your area.
3. Look online. Once you have a list of lawyers you are looking into, check them out online. Many cities and localities have Facebook groups that are there to promote local businesses such as local attorneys. Check them out and ask if no one has posted anything about them or about disability lawyers in your area.
4. Talk to the state bar association. The state bar association will have information about local attorneys and they can give you some very good information about them. If they ever faced a disciplinary action, they can let you know about that. There information is very reliable and should be trusted. You may even want to start here when you are compiling a list of names to check and to talk to.
5. Take advantage of the free consultations. All law firms offer free consultations to any prospective clients. Go in and spend some time with them. You need to share very personal information and need to feel you can do that. The only way for you to really know how you will click with one local attorney or another is to take advantage of these and really get to know them. This is how they do business and are used to it.
6. Talk to at least three law firms. When you are starting the disability process, you know going in that it is going to take a long time and you may want to rush through your selection of a local attorney. You will get a better result if you refrain from doing this and talk to at least a few law firms. It will take longer but you will have a better experience and may achieve a better outcome when you do not hire the first local attorney you talk to.
7. Questions to ask. You should have a list of questions you want to ask. Some should be:
- Why did you go into this kind of law? You do not want someone who is phoning it in. You want them to be passionate about it.
- How long have they practiced disability law? Lawyers specialize, like doctors, so you need a true disability lawyer.
- How much of their practice is spent on this kind of law? You do not want someone who does one case a year.
- What are your billing policies? Every law firm has their own way of doing this. You need to be completely clear on what you will be charged for and what the charges will be.
Filing a disability claim is an emotional time for a lot of people. The right lawyer can help.
