Being permanently injured or unable to work can be a very stressful situation. In addition to being unable to provide for yourself and your family, you are at the mercy of the system to recognize you as being unable to work. This makes the need for an attorney nearly a requirement, to help ensure your success. However, everyone knows an attorney’s services aren’t free. Who pays the costs of a disability attorney, and how can anyone unable to work be able to afford a disability attorney fee?
A Disability lawyer’s fees are structured differently than a typical attorney
Most attorneys will charge you for their services as you go along. This is typical of most law offices. However, a disability attorney will work to help you attain disability hinged on a fee agreement that their pay comes out of the amount you are rewarded upon success.
Who is allowed to represent someone filing for disability?
Anyone who is filing for disability can acquire the services of an attorney or a non-attorney representative. These types of lawyers and representatives are typically people who have worked for the Social Security Administration in the past. They are familiar with the system, and their goal is to help people who need it the most.
Are Social Security Lawyers’ fees limited?
Disability lawyers are limited by rules and regulations that determine a cap on the number of fees they can charge an individual. Social security attorneys can collect up to twenty-five percent of the amount awarded to a person, up to $6000. The only exception to this rule is added expenses that the law firm or attorney incurred while working on the disability claim. These added fees should be disclosed in an agreement between the lawyer and the person filing the claim. The law firm cannot simply tack on fees to run up the bill and collect more money than they are supposed to.
The reason that these fees are regulated is to help people who have no income to have the opportunity for representation. The disability attorney does the work upfront, with the understanding that the fees will be collected once their client is rewarded with disability benefits. Their fees are automatically deducted from the back pay owed to the person filing the claim.
This amount is deducted by the Social Security Administration, with the documentation being supplied by the disability lawyer. The SSA makes sure the attorney receives the amount owed to them for their services, and the rest goes to the individual.
You have the right to disability representation
You do not have to attempt to navigate the social security disability system alone. You can have the help of an experienced disability attorney, without having to pay fees upfront. They will know and have experience with the disability system. They will know the documentation you’ll need such as medical records to prove your disability.
If you have any questions about the Social Security Disability system, how it works, or if you need help filing a claim, call our office at (865) 566-0800 and we will be glad to help you.