If you are considering applying for Social Security Disability, you may have many questions. One question most people have is, when will I need an attorney? My answer to that question is: immediately.
- An attorney can review your age, education, past work, and impairments to determine if you are a good candidate to apply for Social Security Disability benefits. The sooner you know if you’re a good candidate, the better able you are to prepare for your future.
- If you wait to apply for Social Security Disability benefits it could affect the date you begin receiving benefits. If you wait two years to apply and are denied, then you will have to wait another two years to get a hearing. The sooner you apply, the sooner you will have a hearing if you’re denied.
- If you’re denied, an attorney can begin the appeal process immediately or discuss other options for benefits if you’re not a good candidate for Social Security Disability benefits.
A few other common indicators for whether you need an attorney:
Your doctor says you are going to be out of work for a while
Your doctor says you cannot work
You’ve been diagnosed with a severe condition/impairment
Your doctor says you cannot go back to the job you were doing
You’ve had a major surgery that will affect the rest of your life, such as a spinal cord stimulator, stroke, heart attack, etc.
It is also important to tell your doctor that you’re applying for Social Security Disability benefits. It is essential to inform your doctor of all of your impairments — both mental and physical — if your doctor doesn’t know about it, it will not be in your medical records. Social Security reads your medical records to determine how your impairments affect your work, so it’s important that nothing is left out. Most doctors know what key language to write in your medical records to help Social Security find you disabled.
