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THREE REASONS TO HIRE A DISABILITY ATTORNEY TO WIN YOUR SSD CASE

There are more than three reasons to hire a disability attorney to represent you in your claim for SSD and SSI benefits. The reason most people don’t hire an attorney is they think it will cost too much money.

What most people don’t know is that attorney fees in SSDI and SSI cases are controlled by the federal government. The SSA sets the amount of the attorney fee in every case. Also, the SSA has to approve the attorney fee and they only do so if you win your benefits.

All attorneys who practice Social Security are only paid if they win your case. If an attorney does not win your benefits, then you do not pay an attorney fee.

Therefore, if you take a look at the whole picture, you will see that it is worth it to hire the best SSD attorney near you. The top three reasons to hire an attorney from the Cannon Disability legal team are below:

1. YOU ONLY PAY AN ATTORNEY FEE IF WE WIN YOUR CASE.  THERE IS NO ATTORNEY FEE IF YOU DON’T WIN BENEFITS.

One of the main reasons people do not hire an attorney to help them with their SSD benefits is they are afraid of the cost. Most people think that hiring an attorney will cost too much money. However, in Social Security cases, the disability attorney fee is set by law.

This means the attorney is only paid a fee if she wins the case. If an attorney is trying to charge you an upfront fee for legal services that you must pay before she takes the case, then the attorney is breaking the law. Do not hire that attorney, because they do not understand how the fee process works in SSDI and SSI cases.

Additionally, studies show that hiring an attorney triples your chances of winning SSD benefits. The SSA denies 40% of all initial applications. On appeal, they deny 85% of the claims. Finally, at the hearing level the judges deny over 50% of the cases that come before them. Learn more information about SSA’s denial rates. With these denial rates, you need an attorney with years of legal experience on your side.

Cannon Disability Law

2. THE ATTORNEY FEE IN SSD CASES IS “CAPPED.”

Furthermore, the attorney fee in all Social Security benefit cases is “capped.” This means that the attorney or the firm that you hire cannot charge you, by law, more than 25% of your back benefit. Your back benefit is money you are owed since the time you allege you could no longer work due to your medical condition.

Currently, the SSA has capped the attorney fee at $7200. In November 2024, the cap goes up to $9200. This means the attorney fee cannot be more than the attorney fee cap. The attorney fee in your case will be the fee cap OR 25% of your back benefit. You will pay whatever amount is LESS.

Again, the attorney can only charge a fee if she wins the case. And, the attorney fee is always whatever amount is the least amount of money. For example, if you have a back benefit of $10,000, the attorney fee is 25% of that amount or $2500.

Likewise, if you have a back benefit of $100,000, the most the attorney can charge in fees is $7200 (or $9200 after November 2024) out of the $100,000. The cap is set by the SSA and it can go up only when they say it goes up. Also, the fee cap is the most your attorney can charge once the case has been won at the hearing level. You only pay an attorney fee if you win SSD benefits.

YOUR JUDGE MUST APPROVE THE ATTORNEY FEE

Additionally, the judge who decides you case must approve the attorney fees.  This makes it so that an attorney can never charge you too much in attorney fees.

Best of all, for you, there is no attorney fee if you lose your case. This may not sound like a good deal, because you don’t want to lose. But, neither does your disability attorney. Because if they lose, they don’t get paid.

If the judge decides to deny your case, then your attorney just worked for two years on your case for free. Nobody wants to work for two years for free. So, your attorney has a big motivation to win for you.

Many people think that 25% of the back benefit is too much money. They think they can win their case on their own, without any help. Of course, there is a small number of cases where that works out.

However, the SSA denies most cases at the application and appeal level. This mean that most people who apply receive two denials. There is a better chance of winning your claim if you hire an attorney.

Above all, your attorney does not charge a fee from your future benefit. So, even though you may end up paying 25% of your back benefit to the attorney when you win your case. You will then receive benefits for years to come. Let’s look at a simple example.

social security disability and back pain

25% OF THE BACK BENEFIT AMOUNT FOR AN ATTORNEY FEE IS A GREAT DEAL.

THIS IS THE REASON WHY.

If you are 50 years old and win SSDI benefits, then you will receive benefits for the next 17 years. You will receive benefits until you are 67, because that is the current retirement age.

If your monthly benefit is $1000, then that means you will receive $12,000 a year. This equates to $12,000 a year for 17 years. That means, if you win, you will win $204,000, plus your back benefit payment. Let’s say you win $10,000 in back benefits. The attorney fee will be $2500.

So, if you win your case, the attorney fee is $2500. And you will receive $204,000, plus $7500 in back due benefits. In short, you will get $211,500 in SSD benefits. Your SSD attorney will receive $2500 in attorney fees.

In the above example, you can see that paying $2500 to the attorney, when you are winning over $200,000, is a good deal for you. Most cases are similar to the above example.

3. SSA JUDGES ONLY GRANT 40% OF SSD CASES. YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING GO UP IF YOU HIRE A DISABILITY ATTORNEY.

In the last couple of years, the SSA has made efforts to get all of the Social Security judges across the country to have the same approval and denial rates. Therefore, your judge is under pressure to deny  almost 60% of Social Security cases that are before her. The SSA can review any ALJ decision. They do this by having the Appeals Council review ALJ decisions. Therefore, the Appeals Council reviews appeals and ALJ decisions.

What do you think the Judge will want to do in your case if you show up without an attorney? Chances are good that your judge will deny your case.

You may not believe it. But, the judge is more likely to deny you if you do not have an attorney. Why? Because there is no one there to protect your rights and make the legal arguments that are necessary to win the case.

You may think you have a good case because your doctor says your medical condition makes you unable to work. But the judge does not have to accept the opinion of your doctor.

Also, you will not know how to question the witnesses that the judge calls to court. The judge can call a medical expert and an expert on jobs to testify at your hearing.

If you don’t have a lawyer, then you will not understand what the medical and job expert are saying. This can be very frustrating for you. But the experts are there to testify about how the law applies to your medical condition.

Only an attorney with experience can help you question these experts. You need an attorney who knows the law in order to win your SSDI and SSI benefits. We also have a list of secrets that can help you win your SSD benefits.

WHAT WE DO TO HELP YOU WIN SSD BENEFITS 

You do not need to try to win SSDI and SSI benefits by yourself. We can help file your SSD application. Also, a disability attorney can help you appeal every SSA denial. For example, our attorneys and staff can:

If you file your application for benefits online at Social Security’s website, then you have 6 months to complete the application. Try not to take that long to finish it. Once you submit your application online, the SSA sends you an application summary in the mail. You must sign the summary and mail it back. If you need help to file your application, then we will help you.

HIRE A DISABILITY ATTORNEY WITH THE EXPERIENCE YOU NEED TO WIN SSD BENEFITS

At our law firm, our attorneys and staff have over 30 years of legal experience helping our clients win benefits. We have won over $100 million in past due and ongoing SSD benefits for our clients. We can help you too.

Don’t go to court without an excellent attorney. Your future income, for yourself and your family, is at stake. You need to hire a law firm that is on your side and can help you win the SSDI and SSI benefits that you deserve.

Our law firm offers a free review of your benefits. However, we don’t take the case of every person who calls our office. We only accept the cases where the client has a severe medical condition that prevents them from working. You can call us for free and we can often tell you over the phone if we can help you win your SSDI and SSI benefits.

If you are unable to call, then you can contact us another way. We represent clients in Utah, Nevada, Idaho, California, Colorado, Washington, and Arizona. You can find out more information regarding benefits in different states. For example, find out more information about your state:

Also, we can help you file your application for benefits at Social Security’s website. Contact Cannon Disability Law today and hire us to be your legal team. We work hard for our clients. Hire the best disability attorneys to help you. We have the experience you need to win your SSD benefits.

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