Preparing Witnesses to Testify at Your Disability Hearing

Your Ocala disability lawyer may recommend asking family, friends and co-workers to testify on your behalf during your Social Security disability hearing. Having witnesses testify on your behalf can strengthen your case and provide the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) with additional information and perspective regarding your condition. Before your hearing, your Ocala disability lawyer will meet with any potential witnesses to discuss their testimony, and what a witness can expect during the hearing.

At this preliminary interview, your Ocala disability lawyer will assess whether the potential witness will be beneficial to your disability claim and explain to the witness what kind of testimony will be most effective at a Social Security disability hearing. For example, if the witness is a layperson, meaning the witness is not an expert, the best testimony will emphasize the witness’ observations.

Your Ocala disability lawyer will not rehearse answers to questions with a witness because rehearsed testimony is not as valuable as a witness’s spontaneous testimony. Rehearsed testimony often overlooks valuable information that may arise through spontaneous testimony. It is important for the witness to put her observations in her own words. It is almost impossible to help a witness develop answers without making the testimony appear as though it was rehearsed. An ALJ gives less weight to testimony that appears to be rehearsed than a witness’s natural testimony. However, an attorney may discuss with the witness the types of questions the lawyer or ALJ will likely ask the witness during the hearing.

For a free evaluation of your claim for Social Security disability benefits, call (352) 304-5300 to consult with an experienced Ocala disability attorney at the CJ Henry Law Firm.