Quote:
Originally Posted by Hopeless
Dear SkyKing,
I am very sorry you have had such an awful battle and such a long one. It is very good to hear that you FINALLY, after 10 years, were approved.
If attorney #3 did NOT represent you in Federal court, only at your last ALJ hearing, I do not think he would be entitled to an approval on his fee petition.
Let us hope that it is denied and you get your back-pay benefits quickly and that your attorney will be limited to the $6000 cap.
Based on the information you have supplied, he is NOT justified for going beyond the cap., I feel confident that SSA will agree. He has to substantiate his fee to them.
You might want to look into contesting his petition. Good luck and so glad you finally won at least ONE battle. If you can fight for 10 years, you can fight the fee petition.
Good luck to you and keep us posted.
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One other thing which I forgot to add, the ALJ at the third hearing vacated lawyer number threes "fee agreement" or did not approve of it, the stated reasons being, "your appointed representation who are not members of the same law firm or other business, and the representatives from the other law firm did not waive charging and collecting a fee!" Thus the ALJ in his fully favorable decision instructed me and or my representatives that we/they could request a review and or file a "fee petition!"
I believe that the attorney planned on that from the first, in other words the ALJ's action was merely a formality, which in no way predicts future outcome of the SSA investigation of the "fee petition," or the length and depth of the process...