How Does an SSD Attorney Help?
You may be one of the thousands of Americans who are struggling with their health and with their finances due to a disability that has made it impossible to work at your normal job. While you might have been able to get by for a while without a paycheck, things may be looking pretty bleak right now. Maybe you have filed an application for SSD benefits but received a denial, and now you simply don’t know what to do next. Perhaps you are considering hiring a Social Security Disability Lawyer to help you get the disability benefits you need and deserve—but you don’t know where to start.
How Does a Social Security Lawyer Get Paid?
You may be unsure of how the process works and how your SSD lawyer would get paid. In short, with your finances in disarray, you may wonder whether you can afford an SSD attorney who will help you obtain your disability benefits. The good news is that when you hire a Social Security Disability lawyer, you are not required to provide up-front money; similar to a personal injury attorney, your SSD attorney only gets paid if you are approved for benefits.
When you hire a disability attorney, you will sign a contingency fee agreement that allows the SSA administration to pay your attorney when and if you are approved for Social Security Disability benefits. Further, the SSA will carefully review the fee agreement to ensure the agreement complies with all regulations. The Social Security Administration has set a cap on the legal fees that can be charged by a Social Security Administration attorney once you are approved for benefits.
The cap is 25 percent—but no more than $6,000—of back benefits you are due at the time of your approval. While a Social Security Disability attorney can request additional fees, the attorney must be able to justify those fees to the SSA to have the request approved. This is actually a rarity, and, overall, there is strict enforcement of these contingency agreements. You are unlikely ever to see a legal bill, as your attorney will submit his or her invoice directly to the SSA. As you might imagine, since your Social Security Disability attorney receives his or her fees from your back-pay only, they have additional motivation to ensure the date of onset of your disability is correct—benefitting you and the attorney.
Your contingency agreement may also cover your attorney’s out-of-pocket expenses such as postage or fees charged for accessing your records. While you certainly can go through the Social Security Disability process on your own, attempting to obtain the benefits you need and deserve, you stand a much better chance of success in your appeal when you have an experienced SSD attorney by your side. You can also rest easy knowing crucial deadlines will never be missed, and all your paperwork will be in good order. If you have decided you could benefit from having an experienced SSD attorney in your corner, consider the Carmichael Law Group. We offer a free comprehensive consultation and nationwide help for those seeking disability benefits. Contact the Carmichael Law Group today.
