Ann Arbor Social Security Attorney
Each and every year millions of hard-working Americans pay taxes into the Social Security system. In exchange for these tax payments, workers are covered by disability and retirement benefits from the Social Security Administration. While obtaining retirement benefits is usually a simple task, obtaining Social Security Disability benefits is another story altogether. When a disabled worker submits a claim for disability payments, the process is anything but simple and straightforward. In fact, it takes some disability applicants well over two years to obtain the benefits they are entitled to. If you are considering an application for Social Security Disability benefits in the Ann Arbor, Michigan area, you should consider the services of an Ann Arbor Social Security Disability attorney to protect your rights to the benefits you need.
The City of Ann Arbor thrives on a diversified economy that is fueled by the education, high-tech, biotech and health services sectors. Education plays the largest role in the city's economic well-being, with the University of Michigan employing more than 30,000 Ann-Arbor-area residents. Manufacturing also helps the area's economic climate, with automotive companies like General Motors employing some of the area residents. The median income for Ann Arbor residents is $60,227.
Applying for Ann Arbor Social Security Disability Benefits
Ann Arbor is the sixth-largest city in Michigan and is home to nearly 114,000 residents. In the State of Michigan, approximately 4.8 percent of the population receive Social Security Disability benefits with an average monthly benefit amount of $1,121.80. Ann Arbor residents who are applying for Social Security Disability benefits will normally deal with the new Livonia, Michigan ODAR office, which was recently opened in 2010. The opening of this office was to address the significant processing times for disability appeals and to make it easier for an Ann Arbor resident to obtain a hearing before an administrative law judge.
While the initial application process for disability benefits only takes three to four months to complete, the majority of these applications are denied by the Social Security Administration during this stage of the application process. In fact, nearly 70 percent of disability applicants must file an appeal in order to obtain the benefits they need. Because of this, it is in an applicant's best interests to retain the services of an Ann Arbor Social Security Disability lawyer.
Hiring an Ann Arbor Disability Attorney
When you hire an Ann Arbor Social Security attorney, your lawyer will go over your claim with you and will help you gather the medical evidence that will be needed to prove your disability to the Social Security Administration. He or she will also help you prepare your application paperwork, helping you present it in such a way that the adjudicator reviewing your file understands the severity of your disabling condition. These steps will increase your chances of being awarded benefits at the initial stage of the disability application process.
If, for some reason, your initial claim for disability benefits is denied, your Ann Arbor Social Security lawyer will work with you to overturn the SSA's decision through the process of a disability appeal. For most Ann Arbor disability applicants, the appeal process will consist of a Request for Reconsideration and a disability hearing before an administrative law judge.
It is important to understand that a Request for Reconsideration is normally just a formality. Fewer than 20 percent of these requests are actually granted by the Social Security Administration. Your lawyer will mainly be focusing on the hearing stage of your disability appeal. For Ann Arbor residents, the new ODAR office located in Livonia is the office in charge of scheduling these hearings. As of now, it takes this office an average of ten months to schedule a hearing for an Ann Arbor Social Security Disability applicant.
Because it will take you nearly a year before you have your chance to plead your case to an administrative law judge, it is crucial that you do everything you can to ensure that your hearing go as smoothly as possible. This means working with your Ann Arbor disability attorney to gather additional medical evidence for the administrative law judge to review and, if necessary, retaining expert witnesses to testify on your behalf. Your Ann Arbor disability attorney will also prepare you for your hearing on a personal level, letting you know what you should expect at the hearing and how you should respond to the questions that are asked of you.
Many Social Security Disability applicants are tempted to represent themselves at this hearing. It may be crucial to the outcome of your disability case that you do not do this. While nearly two-thirds of disability hearings are decided in the favor of the disability applicant, statistics show that your chances of a favorable hearing outcome are significantly lower if you represent yourself and do not have proper legal counsel.
If you are interested in obtaining an evaluation of your Social Security Disability case, click here for your free Social Security Disability evaluation and to get more information about hiring an Ann Arbor Social Security Disability attorney.
An Ann Arbor Social Security Disability lawyer will also handle disability claims in the following cities located in Washtenaw County, Wayne County, Lenawee County, Livingston County, Monroe County, Jackson County, Ingham County, and Oakland County: Ypsilanti, Canton, Plymouth, Romulus, Dexter, Chelsea, Jackson, Manchester, Brooklyn, Westland, Livonia, Lincoln Park, Detroit, Southfield, Royal Oak, Warren, Flint, and Sterling Heights.
