In my law practice I have had the pleasure of helping hundreds of honest and deserving claimants obtain disability benefits from the Social Security Administration. As explained elsewhere on this site, disability benefits are not awarded automatically – even the most deserving claimant must apply, likely get turned down, appeal, get turned down again, and appeal again. Eventually (sometimes a 2 years or longer wait) that deserving claimant will appear before an administrative law judge in a 45 minute hearing whose outcome can literally make the difference between living with dignity or financial ruin.
I know how difficult it is to understand Social Security’s decision making process. Back in the 1990’s, after practicing other areas of law for almost ten years, I began handling Social Security disability appeals on behalf of some of my existing clients. I remember clearly observing that disability law was confusing, inefficient and arbitrary. I was an experienced lawyer, yet disability law made no sense to me – I could only imagine how my clients felt.
As I working on more files and tried more cases I began seeing certain patterns emerge. The judges in my area (Atlanta and north Georgia) seemed more receptive to some cases more than others. More specifically, cases involving the grid rules were almost always approved quickly.
This web site and my other sites about Social Security disability on the Internet are designed to help you understand more about the disability decision making process. Today’s consumer of legal services is much more sophisticated thanks to the Internet. If I need a service professional I would expect a robust and informative web site and I suspect you feel the same way. A flashy yellow pages ad or a 30 second TV spot tells you nothing about the personality, qualifications or experience of a lawyer or anyone else.
This web site explores the continuing disability review process – what happens when SSA decides that you may no longer be entitled to benefits. Before SSA cuts you off, however, they will ask you to fill out either a short form or long form. After receiving and processing these forms, SSA will decide to either proceed with their efforts to terminate, or they will decide to discontinue efforts to terminate.
Your medical records, along with your responses to these forms will make the difference.
In addition to this site, I invite you to look at my other Social Security disability web destinations:
- my Social Security disability blog
- my Social Security disability podcast
- my Social Security disability YouTube channel
- my law firm web site
- my law firm Ginsberg Law Facebook page (“Like” us to stay in the loop)
- my “how to” book about applying for benefits and improving your chances at an early decision
- my Social Security disability listings web site
- my Social Security Grid Rules site
I hope that this site and the others will help you become a more informed and better prepared claimant. If I can be of assistance to you with your case, please use the form on the right side of this page to contact me.