Quote:
Originally Posted by rlj1959
Thanks Kitty,
I really couldn't stand too many more bites at this point in time. When and if I ever do get a hearing, I will make it very, very clear to the judge that this lawyer has done absolutely nothing to help me, not even a phone call. I think I am going ahead with the Letter of Dire Need myself, I think I have to send it to the Social Security Hearing Arrangement Office in Mobile Al. If anyone actually knows where to send it, please let me know. I guess if anyone there takes the time to read the letter, they will then give it to the ALJ and he will make a decision as to whether or not he will expedite my hearing. Everything I have stated in this reply is stuff I have found on the web, I truly have no idea if it will work or if they even consider a Letter of Dire Need in the state of Alabama. I did ask the lady at the social security office the other day and she knew nothing about it. She had never heard of it. But anyway, all they can do is approve or disapprove it.
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I think you should read the contract you signed. Although I agree that it is not a good business practice, your agreement with the attorney may not reference anything about calling you back timely or writing a dire need letter for you. If you do fire this attorney, he can petition for costs and the amount of time that he spent on the case. If you continue under the contract, the attorney may be entitled to 25% of the retroactive benefits no matter whether he worked hard or not. If you don't want to have SSA enforce the contract that you voluntarily signed, you need to get out of it. One of the things you pay an attorney for is expertise and knowing when and how to make an argument. There is not always much that can be done to move you to the front of the long line of people waiting for hearings, unless the attorney writes a persuasive brief and gets an OTR (On the Record decision) without a hearing.
Since you are unhappy with the person you hired, you should interview a few others to figure out who you might want instead. Any rep who can guarantee an approval or that they can get you moved ahead is probably not telling the truth.