It is often overwhelming to manage a disabling medical condition and your financial responsibilities. You deserve to get the Social Security disability benefits you’ve earned with as little stress as possible. Accordingly, you’ve decided to work with an experienced Social Security disability lawyer. Now that your first meeting is scheduled, you may wonder what you need to provide to your lawyer to make the process go as smoothly as possible.
Documents to Bring With You to a Meeting With a Social Security Disability Lawyer
Your disability attorney will need certain documents to file a successful application for benefits with the Social Security Administration. These documents include, but may not be limited to:
- United States birth certificate (if applicable)
- Proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful alien status if you were not born in the United States
- W-2s or self-employment tax returns for the most recent filing year
- Medical evidence that you have in your possession, such as your medical records or test results
- Workers’ compensation awards, if applicable
- Your Social Security Card (or Social Security number)
Don’t worry if you forget a document or can’t locate it before your first meeting. Your lawyer will give you a list of everything that’s needed so that you can gather it after the meeting. Additional medical evidence will likely be required, and your attorney will help you gather the documentation you need to provide to the Social Security Administration.
What Else to Expect at a Meeting With a Social Security Disability Lawyer
Some of the information that your lawyer needs won’t be found on the documents you provide. For example, your lawyer may ask you:
- For the names, addresses, and phone numbers of all of your doctors and other medical providers
- How your medical condition affects your activities of daily living and ability to work
- The date you became unable to work
- About your education and work experience
- Whether you’ve previously applied for Social Security benefits, Medicare, or Supplemental Security Income
- About your marital status
- Whether you have dependent children or parents
- If you’ve ever worked in a foreign country
- If you have military service prior to 1968
- If you’ve worked in the railroad industry
- For your bank account information so that your benefits may be paid through direct deposit
Attorneys don’t ask this information to be intrusive or to create work for you. Instead, your lawyer needs documentation of your medical condition and all of the other documents the Social Security Administration requires so that the Social Security Administration can approve your disability application. The Social Security Administration routinely denies incomplete or inaccurate applications. These technical denials lead to unnecessary delays in receiving benefits that your lawyer wants to avoid for you.
How to Schedule a Meeting With a Social Security Disability Attorney
Don’t let the lists above overwhelm you. You don’t have to have everything on these lists before scheduling a meeting with a disability lawyer. It’s better to schedule a meeting as soon as possible, even if you don’t have all of the documents. You won’t be turned away. Instead, your lawyer will work with you to gather the documents you need to file a persuasive disability application.
The first step is to schedule a meeting. You can do that by contacting Keefe Disability Law for a free, no-obligation consultation. We can contact us any time by phone, live chat, or our online contact form. We would be happy to schedule a meeting with you in our conveniently located Natick disability law office or by phone, whichever is more convenient for you.
Don’t spend another day wondering whether you qualify for Social Security disability law. Instead, call our experienced legal team for a personal consultation and browse our extensive library of articles, blog posts, and FAQs to learn more about Social Security disability eligibility generally and for your medical condition specifically. We are here to help you get the information and the benefits you deserve.
Are You Looking for a Social Security Disability Attorney in Boston, MA?
If you are looking to apply for social security disability, you need to speak with an experienced social security disability lawyer as soon as possible. Please contact us online or call our Natick Office directly at 508.283.5500 to schedule your free consultation.
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