Resources
Testimony from people who know you and see you on a daily basis can add weight to the testimony you give at a Social Security disability claim proceeding. An Ocala Social Security disability attorney may gain corroborative testimony by posing certain questions to witnesses who are not in the medical field. An attorney may ask how often the person observes the claimant, whether the person heard the claimant's testimony and whether the testimony seemed truthful. It would confirm the claimant's testimony if the witness saw the claimant all the time and found the person's testimony truthful. Medical Conditions: Before and After An Ocala Social Security disability attorney may attempt to get lay witnesses to speak to a claimant's condition before…Read More
What Will You Be Asked by Your Ocala Social Security Disability Lawyer? At your Social Security disability hearing, you will be questioned on a variety of topics. While not all of these questions will relate directly to your case, your Ocala Social Security disability lawyer must use this opportunity to demonstrate any challenges that you face that may qualify you for receiving disability benefits. Your Ocala Social Security disability lawyer may ask you regarding the following: Personal information: What your name is, where you live, and what your Social Security number is When you were born, how old you are now, and how old you were when you became disabled Your level of education What level of education did you…Read More
Those looking to apply for Social Security disability benefits must provide a medical history of incapacitation. An Ocala Social Security disability attorney may be able to help an applicant assert his or her medical history both on the benefits application and at a hearing presided over by an administrative law judge. Medical History Requirements An applicant must be disabled for at least 12 months in order to qualify for Social Security disability benefits. Therefore, an Ocala Social Security disability lawyer will gather an applicant's medical history and other medical information to construct a disability timeline. An Ocala Social Security Disability Attorney May Gather Specific Information A Social Security disability attorney can best do his or her job by investigating a…Read More
The Hearing Room Typically, a Social Security disability hearing takes place in a small, informal conference room. When you and your Ocala Social Security disability lawyer enter the room, you will probably see a few government emblems, such as an American flag or the official seal of the Social Security Administration. The room itself will be furnished with a table for you and your Ocala Social Security disability lawyer to use. The administrative law judge’s desk will sit on an unobtrusive riser so that the judge will preside in a slightly elevated position. A small desk or table may also be available for the judge’s assistant. Recording the Hearing Recording equipment will be placed somewhere in the room so that…Read More
After a Social Security disability applicant's request for benefits is denied, he or she will want to work with Ocala disability lawyers to request a hearing before an administrative law judge. This is one of the first steps involved in appealing a negative ruling. What Happens After Ocala Disability Attorneys Request a Hearing on an Applicant's Behalf? This request prompts the following steps, which may eventually lead to a hearing with an administrative law judge: Usually, an attorney advisor will evaluate a candidate's application. The attorney advisor may contact the applicant's Ocala disability lawyers to ask for more information. If necessary, the attorney advisor may also perform a pre-hearing conference with the candidate's Ocala disability lawyers. The advisor will use…Read More
What is the criteria for determining the extent of a person's disability in a Social Security disability case? Although a doctor's professional opinion is solicited, that opinion will undoubtedly vary based on who you ask. Guidance on these matters can be provided by Ocala disability attorneys. Ocala Disability Attorneys Discuss Subjectivity When Assessing a Patient's Capacity to Perform Work Activities Over a Sustained Period The Social Security Administration's Code of Federal Regulations addresses the issue of subjectivity, recognizing that claimants are restricted by symptoms which are subjective and hard to quantify [20 C.F.R. § 404.1529(c)(3)]. It is further acknowledged that clinical or laboratory diagnostic techniques cannot objectively assess a claimant's symptoms [SSR 96-7p]. What a Doctor May Be Asked to…Read More
While the Social Security Administration feels that videoconferencing is an effective way to save time, most of the participants tend to disagree. Disability claimants usually prefer to explain their situations to the administrative law judge when they are in the same room together. As your Ocala disability lawyers can tell you, a videoconference is simply not the same as speaking to the ALJ in person. The SSA Will Attempt to Overcome Your Reluctance According to literature provided by the SSA, a hearing via videoconference differs from a physical hearing only in the technology involved. The SSA also maintains that this is better for you, since a video hearing spares you the inconvenience of having to travel to meet with the administrative law… Read More
The five step sequential evaluation process determines whether a person can be classified as disabled. Step three requires that a claimant's medical conditions, symptoms and test results meet at least one of the impairments listed in the Social Security Administration's Listing of Impairments. An Ocala disability attorney can guide you through this often complicated process, and inform you regarding the Listing, which is a set of medical criteria found in the administration's disability regulations. Your Medical Signs Compared to the Listing of Impairments It is possible that your impairment may not be found in the SSA's listing. However, an Ocala disability lawyer can argue that your conditions are medically equivalent to one in the listing. There are four situations in…Read More
Good Days, Bad Days Your Ocala Social Security disability attorney is aware that your disability may cause some days to be better for you than others. This can affect your testimony, since you may not be able to stand, sit or walk as easily on a bad day as you would be able to on a good day. The disability judge will want to know about your good days as well as your bad days; therefore, you should describe exactly how your daily activities are affected on either kind of day. In addition, your Ocala Social Security disability attorney will advise that you have an answer for the judge if he or she asks you to estimate how many of… Read More
How Will I Know When My Hearing Will Take Place? Your Ocala disability attorney will first notify you of the hearing date; later, the administrative law judge will send you a Notice of Hearing. What Does It Mean if I Receive a Notice of Hearing From the Judge Before Hearing From My Attorney? This may mean that your Ocala disability attorney was not informed about the date of your hearing. It is important that you contact your attorney immediately and inform him about the hearing date. How Much Time Is Required for My Hearing to Be Held and a Decision Rendered? No set time period exists between a request for a hearing and the issuing of a decision. The national… Read More