General

I have seen several cases recently in which a person’s lawyer suddenly drops their Social Security Disability case.

This usually happens with one of these large out of state or national law firms who never see you at any point in the process until the day of your hearing.

These law firms sometimes look at your case and decide they cannot win so they fire you and cut their losses.

This does not mean your case is over.

You are probably better off without a law firm who has no contact personal contact with you, does not talk to you until the day of the hearing, and who has no idea who the judge is for your case.

If this has happened to you, then you should call an experienced Social Security Disability Attorney within your state.

The new lawyer can contact the Social Security hearing office and take over your case.

The fee stays the same according to Social Security rules and regulations.

Have your new attorney explain what they think is needed to win your case.

This may mean going to a specialist, telling the doctor about your limitations, or asking your doctor to write a letter for you.

It will certainly mean preparing well in advance of the hearing for the questions the Judge will ask and what the vocational expert testimony means for your case.

Questions about your disability case and what you need to do to give yourself a chance to win? Feel free to contact Illinois Social Security Disability Attorney Dirk May with Williams and Swee at 309-827-4371.

Social Security Disability hearings are nerve-racking.

A lot is at stake and you are in a different setting.

The Administrative Law Judge will usually ask you many questions.

If you are not prepared for this it can cause you to panic and not explain your circumstances as best as you can.

Knowing the kind of questions you will face can help you to be ready to answer as best as you can.

Here are some of the important questions that you need be ready for.

Such as, why did you get unemployment benefits and now you are telling me that you cannot work.

The underlying assumption is that you were able to work when you took unemployment benefits.

It is certainly legitimate to explain to the Judge that you thought that you could try to work part-time, or that you wanted to try to work and see if you could somehow make it through the week.

Some judges will be very direct and ask why you cannot work a job.

You should be ready to explain why you will miss several days a month of work due to your condition. For instance, you have four days a month when you cannot get out of bed because of your back pain.

You should be ready to explain why you cannot stay on task most of the time because of your pain, or the side effects of your medications like extreme tiredness.

You should be ready to explain why you have to elevate your leg to waist height for one to two hours a day because of swelling and pain.

Some judges will want to know what you do all day.

You should be ready to testify about your activities, but remember to explain how you are limited and whether you need breaks and how others help you.

Questions about the best way to talk to the Judge? Feel free to contact Illinois Social Security Attorney Dirk May at 309-827-4371.