Before Attending to Your Social Security Disability Hearing, Read This!

May 3, 2012 - PRLog -- Although many will wait more than a year for their Social Security disability hearing in front of an Administrative Law Judge (ALFJ), largely because of the tremendous backlog the Social Security Administration (SSA) is parsing through, the hearings themselves are not only informal, but also rather short. On average, an SSD hearing can take anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour. The hearing is a cause of anxiety for many applicants, so it’s important to have a North Carolina disability attorney by your side.

Social Security Disability Hearing Settings

more info at: http://www.brentadams.com/practice_areas/social-security-disability1.cfm

Attorneys typically advise their clients to dress for their hearing as they normally would, and it’s not uncommon for hearings to take place in a conference room at a hotel or bank, depending on the distance from where the applicant lives from the hearing office itself. In some instances, you may be offered a chance to have your hearing via video conference, but you do reserve the right to request a hearing conducted in-person.

You will generally be accompanied by your attorney, a vocational expert, and a court reporter, but you are also able to bring witnesses who can testify to your limitations and your condition.

What Happens at a Social Security Disability Hearing

At the hearing, you, the vocational expert, and any witnesses you brought to speak on your behalf will be sworn in by the court reporter. Once you’ve been sworn in, the ALJ will ask you questions about your work history, disability, and limitations, and then he or she will ask the vocational expert conditional questions about what kind of job someone with your limitations might be able to perform.

If you haven’t been directly asked any questions, the judge may give you the opportunity to speak or make a brief statement near the closing of the hearing. If you’re not asked to do so, you can always request that you be allowed to briefly talk about your condition, and you may explain how your limitations stop you from being able to work or hold a regular job.

At Your Hearing, Keep in Mind…

The hearing will be brief, so be sure to arrive on time or early, if at all possible. If you show up late, it’s possible that the judge will not even hear your case. Depending on how busy the judge’s schedule is, “too late” might be 15 minutes, or it might be just a few minutes, so as a general rule, be prepared and arrive early.

Also, you will be asked about your daily activities in a typical day or week – does it include cleaning, cooking, taking care of children, or shopping? These household duties, even if you only lightly engage in them, might indicate to the judge that you are able to work, so be sure that you are very clear and specific in how you describe what you do during the day; heating up soup or assembling a sandwich is not as labor-intensive as “cooking.”

Consult a North Carolina Disability Attorney

If you have been denied disability benefits, don’t delay in contacting an attorney. Most initial applications are denied, but an attorney can help you prepare for your Administrative Law Judge hearing so that your case can get the fair consideration it deserves. An attorney from the offices of Brent Adams & Associates can help you.

more info at: http://www.brentadams.com/practice_areas/social-security-...