A. The most important thing you can do to help your attorney is to keep him informed of any new addresses or phone numbers you might have. Your attorney cannot help you if he cannot find you.
B. Go to the doctor and take all medications the doctor prescribes as you are directed to do. Our clients are given a list of doctors who take charity cases. The list also provides various ways to obtain prescription medication at reduced cost. If you are unable o go to the doctor or obtain medication you should document the efforts you have made to do so and be able to explain those efforts to the judge. It will be very difficult to win your case if you are not seeing a doctor and taking your medications as prescribed.
C. If you have seizures, panic attacks, etc, document these and keep a record of when you have them and the severity of them.
D. Let your attorney know of any new medical records that he might need to get to prove your disability.
E. Fill out any disability or work reports requested by Social Security. Don't put down "its in my records" even if you have previously filled out a similar report. Do your best to get the dates correct.
F. Prepare for your hearing with your attorney and if at all possible in person. The attorney can give you pointers as to how best explain things to the judge so it will be presented in the best light possible. The attorney needs to meet with you in order to advise you how to better testify. If it is not possible to meet with the attorney, your case can be prepared by phone, but it is not as effective as it would be if prepared in person.
G. Be honest about what is wrong with you. There are two difficult clients, the He-man client and the hypochondriac. The He-man doesn't want to even go to a doctor and doesn't want to even admit that anything is wrong with him. The hypochondriac believes that everything is wrong with him from his head to his feet. Please remember, the judge hears hundreds of cases a year. It is very likely that he has several cases of individuals much worse off than you are. You should not complain or exaggerate your condition, nor should you hide it from the judge. You should be as honest and factual as possible. If you exaggerate your case the judge will have a tendency not to believe anything you say.
H. If you are taking illegal drugs or drink excessive alcohol, STOP! If the judge determines that the illegal drug use or excessive alcohol use is material to your disability, you will not win your case. If you are smoking you need to strongly consider stopping especially if your disability involves difficulty breathing. I have also had numerous clients that testify they cannot afford their prescription medication yet purchase and smoke two to three packs of cigarettes per day.
I. If you want to go back to work consult your attorney first and see what impact it will have on your case.
J. Understand that your attorney doesn't control the Social Security administration. Your attorney does not get paid until you do. Don't take your frustration with the Social Security Administration out on your attorney. I know it is hard to resist doing this. Please remember that your attorney is only human. While the attorney is going to do his best for all clients. It is much more productive if the attorney can get along with, and communicate with his client. Also understand that it takes a long time to get a hearing. While it is your right to switch attorneys, you should give your attorney a chance to win your case. Don't take your frustrations with the system out on the attorney. Remember he isn't going to get paid unless you do
taken from F.A.Q's at http://www.getsocialsecuritydisability.com
WE SINCERELY HOPE THIS HELPS
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