Administrative Law Judge
Administrative Law Judges generally approve a far greater percentage of claims in which claimants have representation, rather than vice-versa.
If you apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits and your application is denied, you can request a reconsideration appeal. If your reconsideration appeal is denied, you can request a hearing with an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ).
The Social Security Administration has a branch called the Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR). In this branch, there are over 1,100 administrative law judges nationwide. There are 141 hearing offices in the United States where these administrative law judges conduct hearings for the Social Security Administration.
In Southern California, there are 8 Hearing Offices:
Long Beach, CA
Los Angeles (Downtown), CA
Los Angeles (West), CA
Orange, CA
Pasadena, CA
San Bernardino, CA
San Diego, CA
Santa Barbara, CA
If you request a hearing, your claim will be assigned to an administrative law judge at your local hearing office. The hearing office will send you a notice in the mail that will instruct you on when and where to appear for your hearing and will provide you with a phone number you can call if you have any questions.
After your hearing is over, the ALJ will consider all the evidence and testimony that was presented and will either approve your request for disability or deny your request.
You will receive a decision letter in the mail sometime after your hearing informing you of the judge’s decision. It can take anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months before you receive your decision letter.
Administrative Law Judges generally approve a far greater percentage of claims in which claimants have representation, rather than vice-versa. For this reason, you should never consider going to a disability hearing without qualified representation. If you are represented by an experienced disability attorney, then the chances of winning your hearing can be as high as 80%.
If you have been denied disability, talk with an experienced disability attorney who can help you with your case. Click here to schedule a free consultation with an experienced disability attorney in the San Diego & Los Angeles area, serving all of Southern California.