Your Social Security attorney in Jacksonville will inform you that your disability hearing may begin with the judge reciting your Social Security disability claim history and announcing what issues need to be determined.

While it is true that the judge will usually declare what is necessary for you to prove regarding your claim, he or she will seldom present the matter in a simple and concise manner. Instead he or she may say that you must be “unable to perform substantial gainful activity which exists in significant numbers in the economy, considering your age, education and work experience,” before the Social Security Administration can find that you are disabled and eligible for disability benefits.

You may get the faulty impression from a statement like this that you must be bedridden in order to qualify for benefits.

If the Judge Questions You

Your Social Security attorney in Jacksonville will advise you that you will most likely then be questioned by the judge. If you are well prepared beforehand to testify, your attorney may not need to question you. If not, the judge will then allow your attorney to ask questions.

Sometimes the administrative law judge expects the majority of questioning to be handled by the attorney. In a case like this you should attempt to answer the questions your Social Security attorney in Jacksonville asks as if you were talking to a stranger. Because you know your attorney is familiar with your case it can be easy to answer questions incompletely.

However, you should always be aware that the judge is not as familiar with your case and does not know how you will answer a question. Assume the judge has no knowledge of your case even though he or she has most likely read your file at some time before the hearing. Answer every question your attorney asks in a complete and clear manner in order to explain everything thoroughly to the judge.

Contact Us

Are you contemplating filing a Social Security disability claim? Do you have questions and concerns about your Social Security disability claim? To speak with an experienced and knowledgeable Social Security Attorney in Jacksonville, please call First Coast Disability Lawyers at 904-215-5555.