Sometimes you wonder what people are thinking.
Social Security Disability is not a simple process.
There are numerous laws, rules and procedures that are complex and baffling to even those who work with Social Security on a daily basis.
Why would you decide to represent yourself?
You are risking benefits that may be paid to you for the rest of your lifetime.
This could easily top a total of $300,000 depending on your life expectancy.
Every so often I will see clients who come into my office after being denied at a hearing without a lawyer representing them.
There are many mistakes and traps that these people fall into.
Even though the Judges are not inherently biased against unrepresented people, I think there are some subtle problems.
No one is watching the Judge to protect against mistakes, or failure to follow the rules, or to ask important questions of you or the vocational consultant.
You need to know what type of questions the Judge will ask and why.
You need to understand what you must prove to win your case.
You need to know what medical records to produce.
You need to understand why the vocational consultant is testifying and what you need to do to turn the testimony to your advantage.
The bottom line is that a lawyer only gets paid if they win your case for you.
The most the lawyer can ever get paid is $6,000.
This is a small amount to pay for lifetime benefits and Medicare benefits.
Questions about your disability case? Feel free to contact Illinois Social Security Disability Attorney Dirk May at 309-827-4371.