When Should You Switch Your Disability Lawyer?
Having a disability lawyer in your corner is a good idea, especially if you are filing an appeal, or have already been denied previously. However, not all social security disability lawyers are created equal. You may not mesh well with your disability attorney, or they may be too busy. Their caseload may be too high, and it is possible that you may be lost in the shuffle. If that scenarios happens to you, do you know how to change your disability lawyer? Switching legal representation may not be as easy as you think. Here are some tips to help you switch your disability lawyer to one that you are happier with.
Be Aware of Expenses
If you signed an agreement with a disability lawyer, you may be responsible for expenses, despite whether or not you win or lose your disability case. This means that you may have to pay for expenses out-of-pocket for the work they have already done on your disability claim.
Proper Notification
You should send a letter to your current disability lawyer and to the Social Security Administration. You will want to clarify that the current disability attorney is no longer representing you in your disability case. Your current lawyer will need to send Social Security a letter of withdrawal. However, it is important to note that they may request any fees that you owe to them if you win your case.
Your new lawyer will also send the Social Security Administration their disability representation papers, notifying them that they are representing you moving forward.
Occasionally, you may have a disability representation firm that refuses to sign any withdrawal papers at all, so they can request part of your money if you win your case. They are legally entitled to any expenses they have incurred during the time they represented you. This may cause issues when trying to switch your disability lawyer to new representation. Some disability attorneys avoid getting into disputes with other firms over fees. They may want to avoid losing part of their fees or a delay in payment due to a lack of funds or disputes.
Otherwise, if the fees can be agreed upon or settled with the former disability lawyer, many times there is no issue is switching disability lawyers. Overall, you should feel comfortable and confident in your legal representation.
Are you happy with your disability lawyer?
The Disability Advantage Group has a team of caring, experienced disability attorneys who will work hard to help you with your disability claim. If you need help with your disability claim, fill out our form and one of our helpful staff will reach out to you. Otherwise, you can call us directly at (865) 566-0800 and we will be glad to help you.