The hearing (without a lawyer)
While many people handle the initial stages of their case without legal representation, having a lawyer becomes especially important at the hearing.
If you don’t have a lawyer, Social Security will still schedule a hearing for you. However, when you go to the hearing, the judge will advise you of your right to counsel and often recommend hiring an attorney. Unless you waive your right to an attorney, the judge will postpone the hearing and give you time to find an attorney.
This slows your case down. Instead of having the hearing that day (which would happen with a lawyer), you will have to wait months for your case to be rescheduled. It also gives your lawyer less time to prepare your case.
Additionally, Social Security often does not update the medical records. If you don’t have a lawyer, you may get to your hearing and find that the judge does not have any of your records. However, when you hire our law firm, we get all of your records to ensure that the judge has everything that they need to decide your case.
Finally, studies show that having a lawyer increases the change that your benefits will be awarded.
Call us today at (985) 626-1002 to set up a free consultation in our Mandeville, LA office to discuss your case.