Selecting Witnesses for Your Social Security Hearing

It is very rare that a Social Security disability claim does not require the testimony of good lay witnesses in order to be successful. Truthful and realistic testimony from a non-expert witness can end up being a major part of the administrative law judge’s decision following your Social Security disability hearing. Selecting the right witnesses is important in ensuring the best possible outcome for you. Your Ocala disability lawyer can help you to decide who would be best.

The most common people who serve as lay witnesses are spouses, adult children, relatives, close friends, and sometimes even minor children. As it is not in your best interest to have all of your family members and friends testify, your Ocala disability attorney will help you to decide who among them would be the best witnesses. You would want a select few witnesses who can both confirm what you will be saying in your testimony and add to what you are saying. You and your Ocala disability lawyer will need to carefully screen all of your potential witnesses, ruling out those who have trouble with expressing themselves, those who are not too willing to testify, those who are not aware of some facet of your case, and those who are too egotistical.

Although close friends and relatives are usually the only people who can provide useful testimony, the very closeness that gives them their knowledge can be a liability in some cases. Some administrative law judges think that people so close to you are less objective than the other types of people who could be witnesses for you. Because of this, you should look into the possibility of non-related people testifying for you. Depending on the issues of your case, neighbors, former employers or co-workers, or fellow members of a group in which you belong might be considered more objective and therefore better witnesses for you.

Your Ocala disability lawyer will aid you in selecting the appropriate witnesses for your case. Deciding on witnesses is just one of the many tasks necessary to ensure the greatest chance of success for you in your disability claim. If you are facing a hearing, fill out the form on this page for a consultation with experienced Ocala disability attorney CJ Henry.