Hiring a local attorney to represent you for your disability claim just makes good sense.
If you hire a lawyer from out of town or out of state, you may not meet that person until they fly in the day of your hearing. Social Security rules do not require that your representative be an attorney so it is possible that it may not even be an attorney who flies in to represent you. It could be just a staff person who works for an attorney. .
A local attorney who handles many cases interacts regularly with the staff of the local Social Security office. A local attorney will have a good working relationship with them that a non-local attorney is just not going to have. A local attorney also knows and works with local health care professionals.
There is no substitute for careful and complete preparation of your case. It is essential to winning your disability claim so hire a lawyer who is readily available to you.
Careful and complete preparation means that your attorney really understands your unique medical situation, helps you properly complete the paperwork, preps you for the hearing and answers all your questions. During this process it is critically important that your attorney and legal staff are available by phone, by email and–especially important–available for in person meetings.
Finally you should look for a law firm where Social Security disability law is a significant part of their practice, not just a sideline. Ideally, pick a firm where the lawyers focus exclusively on Social Security disability law.
At Cuddigan Law we live and work right here where you are. We focus exclusively on Social Security disability law. For a free evaluation of your case, call us. At Cuddigan Law you have a dedicated team of professionals in your corner who understand the system and who will fight for your rights.