Dear Soccertese,

Two other things I forgot to mention. I have learned that with some of the big firms, they do not even see or meet the client until they come face to face at the hearing. All communication is done by phone or written. You are ahead in that respect since you have at least met face to face with a paralegal.

The other forgotten matter in my prior post. Even though you have representation, the more proactive you are, the more you assist yourself, the better. It is YOUR claim and YOU are the one that will be impacted the most by the outcome, not the atty. They will have other clients upon which to earn their money. This is coming from my personal opinion only. It is based upon my own perspective and personal history with the legal system and attys. I also have "control" issues so I am not one to sit back and just let others "handle" things. Ask questions of your representative along the way, get advice from them, but do not just sit back and "hope" they are on top of things. You ARE not their only client and therefore correct in your feeling that you are a number to them. In many ways, you are just that. But, keep in mind, if you don't win benefits, they don't get paid so they do have some stake in the matter. Also, do some of your own research. The more YOU know, the better.