Hi-

After not being able to work for 3 years, I think it is time i file for SSDI...I know, I should have filed earlier...A LOT earlier. I have a physical and psychiatric dxs. The psych issues are more problematic, however the meds that could help my depression & ability to function, flare up my meovement disorder, so it is very frustrating...be happy & not be able to walk or be miserable and walk???

What questions should I ask potential SSDI attorneys?? I cannnot file on my own as mentally it is too much for me.

Any advice would be most appreciated!




Stacy

Hi Stacy,

I am surprised no one has responded yet to your post.

You are not alone in making the mistake of waiting before fiing for disability. I waited for 8 and a half years thinking I would get better and be able to return to the workforce. Wow, I was so wrong. Each year I just kept getting worse and diagnosed with more and more debilitating conditions.

I made calls to several different disability firms and asked various questions. I did a lot of internet searches. I thought I was prepared when I filed but was shocked to find out just how little I knew.

You mention that you may not be able to handle it with your particular issues. Do you have someone that can help you? Make some calls for you?

Have you looked at the sticky notes for this forum?

If no one with much more info does not respond to you soon, I will return and list some questions that I asked. Not sure if that will help you but I will try.

Good luck and I hope others on NT will come to your aid. I was denied and have appealed so you might want info from someone that has been successful.

I totally understand your frustration Stacy !

I'm in GA and in the middle of my reconsideration (1st appeal). I did the initial application on my own with help from my grown kids. With the appeal I saw an advocate that works with people locally and he gave me some great pointers that I used when filing my reconsideration.

I went to my PCP about 6 weeks after my chemo ended in March of this year because my feet were killing me and I could barely walk. Was not 'up' on neuropathy at the time. Never gave it a thought. After she told me it was neuropathy, she and her nurse both said I needed to file ASAP for disability. I was laid off in Sept of last year after 26 years on the job. I've worked since I was 15. It has been a medical roller coaster ride since then.

Sorry I cannot be of more help but I'm sure these good people will help u out.

Debi

In addition to what Hopeless already stated, ask the atty if there is a backlog of SSDI cases in your state & what if anything is being done about it. At least this way you will have a time frame to get your financial resources together.

How often do they provide "status" or "updates" to their clients during the whole process.

Like Hopeless, I did a lot of research prior to filing for SSDI. I went down to my local library & read up on everything pertaining to the state I live in. When the time came for me to file, I knew exactly what I was getting into. Jumped out the frying pan & into the fire I went.

If you live near a large metro, then research if there is a non-profit agency that will help file for no charge. --They often are available for those with psych RX's in particular.

Many attorney's won't represent you until you've accumulated some backpay, but since you can claim an alleged onset date going back 3 years, you could get 1 year's worth of backpay, so... I'd recommend looking into a non attorney rep (the company Allsup seems to have a good reputation) if you have difficulty finding an attorney this early in the process.

Ask them for references, former clients whom they've made happy! If they don't have any, you might wish to look elsewhere. Aside from that, the obvious, years of experience, and why they are working in disability law. Understand, disability law such as SSDI applications/hearings is pretty much the bottom of the barrel as far as it goes for an attorney, so you might wish to know why they are specializing in such a field, or are they even specializing, if they are moonlighting you just may wish to look elsewhere.

A few other things, the most that they can earn representing you is about $6,000, and in my considerable experience that's exactly how much effort that they will be pumping into your case, my first attorney showed up for the hearing with her entire preparation for my case(a 2.7 year wait)scribbled in pencil, on the very front page of a "palm sized" notebook! In other words my life was worth about 240 seconds of preparation on her part....So don't restrict yourself to just attorney's, try looking into professional SSD advocates, folks who are not attorneys, but experts on the system, they are oftentimes more accessible, and in my experience much better prepared at crunch time....