How We Work
Straightforward Help, Start to Finish
The disability system is confusing by design. Our job is to make it manageable - to explain what is happening, handle the paperwork and deadlines, and fight for the benefits you have earned.
A free, no-pressure consultation
Your first conversation costs nothing. We give you an honest read on your claim, whether or not you hire us.
No fees unless you win
Cases are handled on contingency. No money up front, and you pay only if we win. The fee is capped under federal law.
We build the record
Claims are won on evidence. We gather your records and present your limits the way Social Security evaluates them.
You are prepared for your hearing
We prep you for the judge’s questions and stand with you throughout, so you never face it alone.
A real person answers
You work directly with Dan, not a rotating cast of case managers.
What we will do for you
Representation is not a single act. It is a long list of specific tasks handled the right way, at the right time. When Dan takes your case, here is the work he does:
- File every formFile your SSDI and SSI applications and every required form, including the SSA-3368, SSA-3369, and SSA-3373.
- Get the right medical opinionGive your doctor the Social Security medical source statement form, so the opinion carries the weight it should.
- Cover record costs upfrontAdvance the cost of your medical records when a provider charges, so evidence gathering never stalls.
- Maximize your back paySet the right onset date, because the day your disability began can change your back pay significantly.
- Nothing slips past youWe have Social Security copy Dan on every request, so no deadline slips by.
- Never face them aloneWe attend every interview, conference, and hearing with you.
- Check family benefitsWe check whether family members or a disabled adult child also qualify on your record.
- Win without a hearingWhen the evidence is strong, we request an On-the-Record decision to win without the wait.
- Prepare you to testifyPrep sessions so you can describe your symptoms and limits clearly to examiners and the judge.
- Brief the judgeFile pre- and post-hearing briefs that map out your case and the law behind it.
- Challenge the expertsCross-examine the vocational and medical experts, with their evidence reviewed ahead of time.
Why the words on your forms matter
More valid claims are lost to inconsistent paperwork than most people realize. Social Security asks the same kinds of questions in several places, and an examiner who spots answers that seem to contradict each other tends to read the file with more doubt.
Here is a common example. Suppose you check a box saying you cannot lift more than ten pounds, and elsewhere on another form you mention that you stay home caring for young children. Read side by side, and with no explanation, an examiner may treat that as a contradiction, because caring for small children clearly involves lifting. The truth is usually more complicated: you may get help, work through pain, take frequent breaks, or do far less than the words suggest. When those limits are explained clearly and consistently across every form, an honest answer stays an honest answer instead of becoming a reason to deny the claim. Getting that right is a large part of what careful representation buys you.
Want to understand how Social Security decides whether you qualify? Read about the five-step sequential evaluation they use on every claim.
Talk with Dan about your claim
Every consultation is free, and there is no obligation. You pay no attorney fee unless your claim is won. Most of what we need can be handled over the phone.