Before hiring a lawyer please check with your local DHS office or Social Security office and try to get information on representatives who will act as attorney representatives free of charge. Many lawyers are free unless you win...but I believe that if you are awarded they take 25% or thereabouts of your benefits thereafter. (Some of our other members who have worked with attorneys may be able to either confirm or deny this statement as I really don't know firsthand, just from what I am told by my coworkers and claimants)

If you do decide to hire a lawyer, please make sure you are well-informed about their policies for payment and such before you sign them on.

A lawyer (or other designated representative) can be extremely helpful if you don't win on your initial case, so they can represent you to the judge if you decide to appeal. They can also be useful if you are having trouble filling out forms at the front end of the application. I have worked with some wonderful representatives who were able to track down medical records that I wasn't able to get, or contact a claimant who I wasn't able to contact for whatever reason. Also, many claimants may be too intimidated or overwhelmed by the thought of contacting their disability examiner, and prefer to have a representative do all the talking for them.

If it gives you peace of mind, by all means obtain a representative. But do be aware that there are not-for-profit/free representatives out there. I wish I could offer information on how to contact them but luckily DHS and the Social Security office should have information regarding these organizations.

Good luck on your application and the disability process!