If you’ve decided to file for SSDI, or Social Security Disability Insurance benefits, you may be wondering where to begin. The clear answer is to start by finding Social Security disability attorney who will work with you throughout the process of filing your claim. However, you may be wondering exactly what an attorney can do for you, or how having an attorney can help you receive disability benefits in Baltimore. An attorney can help you:
1. Understand the process
Applying for federal disability benefits is a complicated process, and your attorney is there to help you understand what to do, starting from your eligibility (as it’s important to know whether you are eligible to apply in the first place) and ending with the disbursement of your benefits (if you receive any). Your attorney can also help support you throughout the stress of the process if need be.
2. Take care of the details
The day-to-day legal process of filing a disability claim, from submitting paperwork to communicating with the Social Security Administration, can be very complex. This is especially difficult if you are suffering from a disability, such as an injury or illness. Your attorney will take care of all of this so that you don’t have to, and instead can concentrate on therapy and recovery.
3. Gather evidence
In order to make your case legitimate, you have to provide evidence that you have a disability, and that this disability has prevented you from working. Your attorney will work to collect evidence in your favor; although you will have to help with some parts of this process (such as providing hospital records and physician’s reports), overall your attorney will decide which evidence is relevant and how to present this evidence in your case.
4. File appeals
The overwhelming majority of claims are denied initially; however, that does not mean that you have to give up. Your attorney will help you file an appeal, which will ask for your case to be reviewed again.
5. Argue your case in court
Ultimately, if your case makes it to court, your attorney will advocate for you and do his or her best to convince a judge that you need disability benefits in Baltimore. This skill can prove invaluable, as without an attorney you would have to support your own case in court.
