I do have a lawyer finz. I fired him and then turned around and hired him back because either way, he says he can still get up to 25% of my back pay if I win and SSDI backs him up on this. If I hadn't hired him back and he filed a fee petition, this could hold up my back pay for months waiting for a judge to rule on the petition. I can't wait for months.

The lawyer told me that he knew that he could win the case or he wouldn't have taken my case to start with. I was told last Tuesday by the lady handeling my claim at the appeals office that my file was with a senior attorney now. My lawyer called me after he found out that I had been in contact with this appeals office and told me I didn't need to be calling them about my claim.

This just proves to me the fact that he don't won't me knowing the status of my claim so that he can draw it out several more months in order to get more of my backpay. How stupid does he think I am, this is as plain as the sun in the sky. He is not suffering like I am, he don't have to worry about paying bills, his wife don't go to him crying because there just isn't enough money to go around.

Not all but most social security lawyers are crooks, they are taking advantage of a sure fire case and lining their pockets. And they think people like me are too stupid to see this. I have learned in my case alone, this lawyer has not done one damn thing that I couldn't have done myself. But he has me pinned to the wall with the contract I signed to hire him. Because SSA backs the lawyer, there is not one thing I can do about it legaly. I did say LEGALY.

Yes Rickey, one of the difficult parts of all of this is you are dealing with
people who don't know chronic pain. You are a number, an interruption
in their day, or just another paycheck to them. It was 11 months
before my WC examiner spoke with me the first time, and then I
believe she accidentally answered the phone. Less than 45 days later,
my claim for compensation was denied, which was less than 30 day
from when I got the letter say I had 30 days for the dr to send support
for justifying my being unable to work. The letter was dated dec 12, I got it Jan 11/12, the examiner stated she should have sent the letter on nov 1. I truly was just an irritation in her schedule.

Now, I am going to have two lawyers, because my third party case lawyer won't touch US Dept of Labor.

I feel your 'pain'.
Pat

Not true.

My situation was a tad different than yours. I did NOT fire my attorney. I did not hire one until my ALJ hearing. Since I had copies of all of my medical records, my attorney basically had nothing to do but send for & complete some "state forms" that were needed for ALJ hearings in my state and to show up for the hearing. I did all of the leg work.
After I won my ALJ hearing (fully favorable decision), I wrote a letter to SSD explaining & detailing why I felt my attorney did not deserve to be paid in FULL. I also sent SSD copies of all copying & fax receipts plus a copy of my attorney's itemized bill as further proof.
Apparently SSD agreed w/me. He was NOT paid by SSD at all. However, I was responsible for my atty's OOP expenses which amounted to $250.00.