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Disability claims involving mental disabilities open up a set of questions that do not necessarily apply to claims about physical impairments. When your Social Security disability law office in Ocala is preparing you to testify at your disability hearing, you should consider your symptoms and how you will answer questions about them. The purpose of the hearing is for the judge to get a good evaluation of whether you qualify for disability benefits. Ask your Ocala Social Security disability attorney for guidance as to how you should discuss your mental disability. Dealing With Stress Many disability claimants name stress as something that makes it difficult for them to hold down any work. The judge might ask you questions about how…Read More

In this blog, an attorney with your Social Security disability law firm in Ocala discusses how the SSA might determine how substance abuse affects your eligibility for disability benefits assuming that the abuse ceases. If You Stop The questions facing you and your Ocala Social Security disability lawyer center on whether or not you would still be impaired if you ceased your dependence on alcohol or drugs and the degree to which your use of those substances contributes to your impairment. If the removal of the drugs or alcohol from your system remedies your condition, it is unlikely that you will be declared disabled. If not, then the Social Security Administration must base its decision on the impairments that you…Read More

State agencies and the ALJs who preside over hearings do not evaluate claims the same way. An attorney with your Social Security disability law office in Ocala describes the differences below. How State Agency Determinations Are Made When you and your Ocala Social Security disability attorney compare the ALJ’s view of a case to that of a state agency, one difference that stands out is the use of the Listing of Impairments, a compilation of medical conditions and related data. The Listing establishes the parameters for whether or not an impairment is severe enough to prevent the patient from working. State agencies refer strongly to it when they review files particularly for under-50 claimants. That file is their primary source…Read More

In this article, an Ocala Social Security disability claims attorney discusses the profound impact that testimony from a vocational expert can have on your disability case. Role of the Vocational Expert The vocational expert can play a prominent part in your disability case, and this may or may not be to your advantage. You and your Ocala Social Security disability lawyer are up against someone whose statements can cost you your case. Administrative law judges turn to the vocational expert to explain what you have done in the past, how you performed your work and how the job is done elsewhere in the job market. Whether or not you did it that way and even if you cannot perform the…Read More

Once you have retained the services of an Ocala Social Security disability attorney, you and your attorney may discuss which potential witnesses would be best to testify in your case. Your Ocala Social Security disability lawyer may call the witnesses and ask about things that they have observed. Some of the other information that may be discussed includes the following: Setting An Ocala Social Security disability attorney might explain that a disability hearing is unlike a traditional court hearing. For instance, it is private and more informal than other types of hearings. The hearing may take place in a small conference room. Judge Your attorney may also describe the decision maker in this type of case. An administrative law judge serves as…Read More

An Ocala Social Security Disability Claim Attorney Explains How Your Physician Can Help In this article, an Ocala Social Security disability claim attorney looks at the ways in which your physician can assist you with your disability claim. The Doctor’s Role The opinion of a treating physician can be critical to winning your Social Security disability case. Your Ocala Social Security disability lawyer will have included your doctor’s evaluation of your impairment with your medical records and all the rest of the evidence supporting your claim for presentation at your hearing before the Administrative Law Judge. The medical judgment of your doctor may make the difference between winning and losing your case. The Physician’s Opinion The opinion obtained from your physician…Read More

An Ocala Social Security Disability Attorney Discusses Events After Your Hearing In this article, an Ocala Social Security disability attorney sheds light on the events that transpire once the hearing has ended and you have received the decision. The Decision Regardless of whether or not the decision is in your favor, contact your Ocala Social Security disability lawyer immediately once you receive your copy of the decision to be certain that he or she has been sent a copy also. Copies are normally sent simultaneously to you and your attorney, but errors can occur. By ascertaining that there has been no mistake and that your attorney has his or her copy of the decision, you ensure that your lawyer is…Read More

A Social Security Disability Lawyer In Ocala Gives Examples Of Hearing Testimony In this blog, a Social Security disability lawyer in Ocala discusses how you can help your case as you testify at your hearing. Getting The Facts If you are to win your case, there are some vital facts that you and your Ocala Social Security disability attorney must establish at the hearing. Essentially, it’s all in the details. An Example Assuming that a fictional claimant’s impairment fails to meet the listing, the SSA may take into account how old the claimant is, their level of schooling and prior work experience in order to determine whether or not the claimant can function in a sedentary job. If they cannot, the…Read More

An Ocala Social Security Disability Law Office Attorney Looks At Credibility In the following blog, an attorney with your Ocala Social Security disability law office discusses how your credibility is assessed. Supporting Documentation You and your Ocala Social Security disability lawyer will be expected to back your testimony up with the appropriate documentation. This may include testimony from physicians and other experts, medical reports and results of laboratory testing, physicians’ opinions and diagnoses, anything that SSA employees might have learned from speaking with you and such conclusions as the decision-maker himself or herself has drawn through their contact with you. Uniformity Of Your Testimony The statements you make to the adjudicator must be consistent with the materials in your medical record…Read More

When you go to your initial meeting at your Ocala Social Security Disability Law Office regarding your claim for disability, prepare to be educated about disability law. Your lawyer will explain to you how the disability evaluation process works and how the Social Security Administration reviews claims with a hypothetical approach. The relevant question is not whether you could get a job, but whether you would be capable of performing one. It’s Not How Hard You Try Many disability claimants are under the impression that being unable to get hired for a job is proof of disability. Some claimants even apply to jobs just so they can use the eventual rejections as evidence in their disability case. Your Social Security…Read More