Social Security Disability Insurance Lawyer, North Carolina
It is oftentimes in your best interest to hire a disability benefits attorney when pursuing disability benefits. Although claimants in North Carolina are not required to hire legal help when appealing a Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income claim, having representation significantly increases your odds in two ways.
First, having a Social Security disability lawyer greatly increases your odds of winning your case. Second, an experienced attorney can also assist you in getting a favorable “onset disability date.” The “onset date,” or the date from which your disability began, ultimately affects your benefit amount.
Even though it is certainly advantageous to seek legal advice for the initial filing process, representatives sometimes do not get involved until the appellate process. If a candidate had received a lawyer from the outset, an appeal may have not been necessary. With that being said, an experienced disability lawyer can be even more valuable if your claim is denied and an appeal is on the horizon.
If your claim is denied, there are two additional stages that allow you to appeal your claim. At both of these stages, the Appeals Council and federal court, a Disability attorney can formulate and craft sophisticated legal arguments to show why Social Security should have approved your claim. While having an attorney does not guarantee this claim will be successful on appeal, it is certainly valuable to have a representative that has experience eliciting favorable testimony and rational-legal arguments.
In addition to the obvious benefits of having a disability lawyer, licensed disability attorneys are also bound by the obligation to zealously represent their clients; many of these lawyers typically have many years of experience crafting legal arguments. Also, only attorneys may appeal your claim to the federal district court! A good Social Security disability lawyer can be extremely helpful at the hearing stage.
The lawyer will ask questions, cross-examine experts, and will also present your case to the judge and explain why you are disabled under the Social Security rules. Even if you lose, the lawyer will at least be present and able to present a good appeal if an error in the decision has been made. The appealing lawyer will then submit a brief as to why the Administrative Law Judge erred in finding you not disabled at the hearing.
Lawyers spend many years tailoring their skills to be able to spot errors in judgment, a task that is not easy for the inexperienced applicant. These are important reasons why it is advantageous to hire an experienced lawyer to give you the best chance of success.
