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The Social Security Administration undergoes a complex process to determine if you qualify for disability benefits. An Ocala Social Security disability attorney can tell you that two items the SSA will consider are the medical vocation guidelines and your non-exertional limitations. Medical Vocational Guidelines Explained by an Ocala Social Security Disability Lawyer Disability evaluators will assess your residual functional capacity and compare your capacity to the Medical Vocational Guidelines. These guidelines are charts that determine whether you are disabled when considering your capacity, age, education and work experience. Generally, an Ocala Social Security disability attorney can tell you that the younger and better educated you are, the more difficult it may be to receive benefits. The SSA may determine that…Read More

As you get older, a variety of afflictions may affect your mobility. These conditions may qualify you for Social Security disability benefits. To learn if your impairment qualifies for benefits, you will want to talk to an Ocala Social Security disability lawyer. Need to Rest or Lie Down Older individuals may need to rest or lie down during the workday. However, an Ocala Social Security disability lawyer can tell you that very few jobs provide such an opportunity to an older worker. As a result, if you have an impairment that requires lying down for a period of time, you may be entitled to benefits. Problems Sitting A sedentary job typically involves needing to sit for a good part of…Read More

For some, sitting can be just as painful as strenuous activity. Your Ocala Florida Social Security disability attorney has explained below how to present effective sitting testimony should the judge bring it up. Your Ocala Florida Social Security Disability Attorney on Sitting Questions While information about sitting may not seem all that important, the judge may still ask you about it at your hearing. He may want to know for how long you are able to sit at one time or the total amount of time during an eight-hour shift you would be able to sit. Your Ocala Florida Social Security disability lawyer will remind you that sitting is an important part of many sedentary jobs, so it is important…Read More

If you choose to have witnesses present at your hearing to testify on your behalf, it will be important for them to understand what makes testimony helpful and relevant. Your Florida disability attorney will speak to your witnesses and go over the information below with them in more detail. Your Florida Disability Attorney on Spousal Testimony One person you may want to ask to testify at your hearing will be your spouse; she has usually known you longest and spends the most time with you. Thus, she can testify about what you were like before and since your impairment. Your Florida disability lawyer will advise her not to simply state that your pain has left you disabled or that you can…Read More

You might be asked to take a consultative examination as part of your disability claim. Talk to your disability attorney in Ocala Florida about this if you have any questions. Who Will Administer the Exam on Me? The SSA has agreements with various doctors and psychologists in private practice to conduct these exams. Your disability attorney in Ocala Florida might know who some of them are. The SSA will have you see a practitioner with the appropriate skills and credentials for the type of exam that is being performed, ideally at a facility near your location. Unfortunately, some claimants have to travel in order to get to the nearest specialist; ask your disability lawyer in Ocala Florida if he knows of any…Read More

Some disability claimants are asked by the SSA to take a consultative examination for the purpose of gathering more medical evidence about their disability. Your Ocala disability lawyer will explain to you that this is usually nothing to worry about, but sometimes the results that come back are unfavorable. The quality and effort of consultative examinations varies greatly. Sometimes the doctor only spends a short amount of time with the claimant and does not seem to really listen to them. Tell your Ocala disability lawyer if you feel this is what happened. You might also want to notify the Social Security Administration or complain to your disability examiner. Write a letter that will be added to your file; your Ocala…Read More

Your residual functional capacity (RFC) is the level of work you are still able to do despite your impairment. It is used by SSA to help determine whether or not you are disabled. Below, your Florida disability lawyer has detailed some common information the judge will want to know in order to determine your RFC. Your Florida Disability Lawyer on Traveling Testimony The judge will be interested to know about your ability to get from one place to another. Thus, he will likely ask you questions about how you were able to come to the hearing and if you require the assistance of another person when you leave the home. Your Florida disability lawyer will advise you to be prepared…Read More

Your doctor will generally be the professional who best knows your impairment, so SSA will consider his opinion in making its decision on your disability claim. Your disability attorney in Ocala Florida will advise that in order for your doctor's opinion to be controlling, there are several hurdles that must first be overcome. Acceptable Medical Source An acceptable medical source is a medical professional who fits into one of several categories considered adequate by SSA. If your doctor does not fall into one of these categories, your disability lawyer in Ocala Florida will warn that his opinion, while still considered by SSA, will not be controlling. Your Disability Attorney in Ocala Florida Explains the Treating Source Requirement The second requirement…Read More

The best testimony strategy is to focus your testimony on the details of your impairment. Your Ocala Florida Social Security disability lawyer will help prepare you for testifying by explaining how to stay on point. Your Ocala Florida Social Security Disability Lawyer on Avoiding Character Testimony Regardless of whether you are the nicest, most honest person in the world, the fact is that the judge is simply not interested in this information. Being a person of exceptional character has nothing to do with the severity of your impairment and your eligibility for disability benefits. In fact, the more you try to explain how good you are, the more the judge may doubt that this claim is genuine. Thus, your Ocala…Read More

Regardless of the result, a medical diagnosis alone is not enough to render you eligible for Social Security disability benefits. As long as you and your Ocala Florida Social Security disability lawyer can prove that your condition has adversely affected your ability to work, you will remain eligible for SSD benefits.Read More