Disability Hearings and Appeals

After you have been denied Social Security Disability the initial time and upon denial of your reconsideration, the next process under Social Security Disability will be a hearing in front of a Federal Social Security Disability Judge. It is at this point that I use my trial experience to represent you at your hearing. There are certain things at a hearing in front of a Judge that are very important. I always review proper courtroom procedure with my clients.

The hearing takes place either at a hearing office location, or at another designated place. The persons present will be you, the hearing Judge, your attorney, and a vocational expert. Different Judges have  different formats they use in a hearing, some Judges ask you all the questions, and some Judges ask the attorney to ask the questions. The vocational expert will inform the Judge from your testimony and documents submitted, (what type of work you did in the past, and what if any work you can perform now), along with any new evidence that becomes available at the hearing, as to your ability to work.

In most cases a decision on your Social Security Disability claim is not made that day by the Judge, usually the Judge takes his or her notes and reviews your claim after the hearing to make a final decision. The decision on your Social Security Disability Claim will then be made, at that point it will be put into a written decision and signed by the Judge. There is not exact time frame for a decision, each case stands on its own, and thus there is no standard time frame to receive a decision.