You are considering applying for Social Security Disability and may be wondering if you need a disability attorney to represent you. In a word, YES. I can not tell you how many claims have come to me after being denied mainly because the claimant was unrepresented. I am not trying to insinuate that Social Security denies you simply because you do not have an attorney. But I am saying that without an attorney there is no one to review your file to make sure everything is done correctly on your claim. Everyone does a better job when they have someone looking over their shoulder, even the Social Security Administration.
I have seen cases that were dismissed because unrepresented claimants did not receive documents mailed to them by the Social Security Administration. When you have an attorney, the documents are sent to you and your attorney. This helps to ensure that someone will have notice of what is going on with your claim.
This may seem cynical but there seems to be an assumption that if you are well enough to represent yourself for disability, then you are not disabled. There are deadlines and paperwork involved in a disability case. If you can do paperwork and keep up with deadlines alone, then the Social Security Administration may assume that you are not disabled.
I encourage you to at least consult with an attorney who handles Social Security Disability cases before you decide to go it alone.
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