If you have been struggling through your daily chores because of disabilities, and planning to claim the disability benefits, striking for a Social Security Disability hearing will be your next move.
But unlike regular court hearings, they are informal. And they last for a short period between 15 mins to an hour max. Due to this, it is advisable to dress casually like any other day for the hearing (barring any hats or revealing clothing).
An Administrative Law Judge (ALJ), takes over the court hearing. The ALJ may or may not wear a black robe. These hearings are sometimes held in a conference hall of a hotel or even maybe through video conferencing if the claimant is unable to reach the hearing office because of the intermediate distance between them.
As these hearings aren’t conducted publicly, only a handful of people are allowed inside the courtroom- the claimant, his/her attorney, the ALJ, a vocational expert (VE), a court reporter, and some witnesses called by the SSA to testify for the claimant.
Though the hearing process varies according to the nature of the case and the claimant, there are a few things that are generally followed.
What happens in an SSDI hearing?
Below are a few things that generally happen in a disability hearing-
- The court reporter will swear the claimant, the witness, and the VE.
- The ALJ will ask you questions to verify all the pieces of evidence for your case. These questions generally wheel around the educational background, previous working ventures, medical problems, any medical treatment regarding that, and any limitations encountered due to this. The best way in this situation is to be thoroughly transparent and honest. The claimant should be ready to discuss anything related to the problems posed against his/her daily life.
- The claimant’s SSDI lawyer can speak on his/her behalf to argue their case. The SSDI attorney or advocate might put forward some additional questions before the claimant to paint a better picture of his/her current condition before the ALJ.
- The ALJ will testify the witnesses present, and even ask the VE for any hypothetical job that the claimant could do despite all the medical complications. These personas then provide the details of the claimant’s ability to perform any of the proposed job or propose even more suitable jobs suiting their current situation.
- If the ALJ doesn’t ask the claimant any question, he/she can ask for permission to present a few of their words to better clarify their medical needs.
- The ALJ takes time to present the decision, so the claimant should expect a time period of nearly 30 days before receiving the final decision.
- Again, as the hearing takes place in a short span of time, it is absolutely necessary to reach the court beforehand. It is always advisable to reach the courtroom 30 mins before the hearing. Failed to do so, the claimant may have to issue a “show cause” providing a viable explanation for such lack of punctuality.
How can we help you?
The process of SSDI hearing might seem overwhelming, but our dedicated SSDI attorneys at Legal Rights Advocates, PLLC., are always ready to ease the process and guide you through the legal journey. Our attorneys’ practice of mock questioning enables the claimant to be more confident and fluent when faced with such scenarios during the hearing.
Be it filing all your medical reports to dressing up for your hearing day, we will be there for guidance at every step required.
So, hurry up and give us a call on 855-254-7841 today to hire the best Social Security Disability Insurance lawyer and increase your chances of getting your Social Security Hearing approved by nearly 70%.
(855) 254-7841
