What Happens Before My Social Security Disability Hearing?
The work to get ready for your hearing begins long before your hearing day. You need to update your file with Social Security.
Board-certified disability attorney Robertson Wendt and his team will take care of these steps:
- Reviewing your Social Security file
- Preparing your documents
- Updating your records of medical treatment
- Getting a written opinion from your doctor
- Writing a pre-hearing brief for the judge
- Preparing you to testify
You don’t have to pay anything to call us about your case and discuss what it’s going to take for a successful hearing.
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Who Will I See at My Social Security Disability Hearing?
A Social Security Disability hearing is different from other court cases you might imagine.
It will take place at a Social Security Administration office. There won’t be a jury there to vote on your benefits. There’s no lawyer from Social Security to argue against you. It’s a private meeting.
You may see a few other people there besides your lawyer:
- The judge
- His or her assistant
- A doctor appearing at the judge’s request
- A vocational expert to talk about jobs you can, or can’t, do
You should understand that the judge at your hearing had nothing to do with your initial denials and won’t use them against you.
The medical or vocational expert could raise questions about your eligibility for benefits. But your lawyer will be there to cross-examine them and help the judge understand your argument for benefits.
You’re not required by law to bring a lawyer to your hearing. But we strongly encourage it. A December 2017 report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that people with representatives at their hearings are almost three times more likely to win benefits.
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What Are You Expected to Do at Your Social Security Disability Hearing?
Once your hearing begins, you’re simply expected to answer questions for the judge about your health problems and how they’ve affected your ability to work. You can expect your hearing to last less than an hour.
The judge or your lawyer may ask you to give some examples of what you’re no longer able to do and what an average day now looks like for you.
You may discuss when you last worked. And you may be asked about your previous work history—to give the judge an idea of the skills you have so he or she can determine if you’re truly unable to work in any capacity at all.
The key to your testimony is simply to tell the truth and provide as much detail as you can without exaggerating your condition.
At Robertson Wendt Disability, your lawyer will meet with you personally within two weeks of the hearing to make sure you’re prepared to answer the questions you’re probably going to get. Many other law firms don’t do that.
And we’ll be there to help with more complicated and legal questions that come up during your hearing.
Robertson Wendt has a proven track record and decades of experience in disability law. You don’t have to go into your hearing alone. Get support.
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