Hire the Right Social Security Lawyer

Social Security Intake Story

I received a call from a potential client who told me at the very beginning of the call that she had contacted another attorney about her case, and she was told that he could not represent her because she was married. Her first question was whether she could file for disability if she was married?

She had been a stay-at-home mother for quite a while and had recently tried to go back to work, but she had only made it a couple of years before she started encountering serious health problems that prevented her from keeping a job. Because of her long gap in employment, she had not paid enough into Social Security recently to be insured for Disability Insurance Benefits. However, because her husband was also unemployed and dealing with his own health and family issues, she did meet the requirements to be eligible for Supplemental Security Income. Not only was she eligible to file for benefits, she had a strong case, and she hired Keller & Keller to file her claim and guide her through the process.

Why was she told by the first attorney that he could not represent her? Without knowing anything about that attorney's practice, it is possible that he had a small practice and limited resources to assist a large number of clients. If her husband went back to work full-time, she may no longer be eligible for the need-based disability benefits that consider household income and assets. The other attorney may have determined that it was not worth the risk to begin a potentially long-term relationship with a client whose eligibility could change based on her husband's employment status, which would affect the amount of fees that the attorney could get for his work.

My concern is not with the other attorney's business decision but that he did not explain this to her. Instead, she was left with the impression that she could not even file a claim. When you call one of the other dedicated intake professionals at Keller & Keller or me, we will explain your rights, take time to evaluate your case and provide an honest assessment of whether we think that our Social Security lawyers can help you get benefits. We owe it to you to provide accurate information about whether we can help you or not and why. That is our promise.