A lot of atty's will not take a case until after the applicant has been denied on their original application. They want to step in for appeals. Some will take on cases from the beginning.

Some applicants get approved without any assistance and some use atty.

After my denial, I sent 3 letters to SS and they would not respond. I called and got no where. I finally resorted to seeking legal help. I went to a large firm that handles nothing but disability and was so annoyed with them, I left and was going to go it on my own. I finally got a response to my repeated written communication with SS. The response was nothing more than a copy of my denial. I plainly stated I HAD a copy of my denial letter in all of my correspondence. I went to a different disability atty and he is now representing me. We do most of our communication via computer and fax. I met with him initially and we will meet a few days before the hearing. I know you do not drive but you do not need to meet face to face with your attorney is my point.