If you are seeking Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits but you are unsure where to start, then it may be in your best interest to schedule an initial consultation with an attorney. Though, you must still do some legwork in preparation for your meeting, so that an attorney can help you as much as possible. Continue reading to learn how to best prepare for your initial consultation with an experienced New Jersey SSDI attorney from The Law Offices of Sheryl Gandel Mazur.
How can I best prepare for my initial consultation with an SSDI attorney?
Put simply, the more documents you bring to your initial consultation, the more an SSDI attorney will be able to determine your eligibility for benefits.
For one, you may have to provide a comprehensive list of your work history, which should include the start and end dates for jobs that you have held over the last 10 years. This may allow an attorney to calculate whether you have enough work credits to qualify for benefits. Also, you may have to provide some sort of documentation that you have paid into Social Security.
Equally important, you may have to provide documents relating to your medical condition and why you are seeking benefits in the first place. This is so an attorney can confirm that your disability falls under the qualifications that the Social Security Administration has set forth, along with the fact that your disability makes it impossible to continue working in your field of work. Examples of such documentation are as follows:
- The medical diagnosis you received from a medical professional.
- The name and address of the medical professional that diagnosed you.
- A list of your prescribed medications and treatments, along with any upcoming surgeries you have.
- A description of your medical condition and its physical limitations.
- A description of what you do at your current job and its physical demands.
Lastly, it may be helpful to come to your initial consultation with a list of questions you wish an attorney to answer.
What may happen after my consultation?
Understandably, a lot of the aforementioned documentation is difficult to obtain before your initial consultation. Rest assured, an attorney may guide you on what other documents you should gather. For example, they may recommend that you seek additional medical testing. In addition, an attorney may schedule a follow-up meeting with you so that you can review the questions that are likely going to be asked at your hearing.
You must remember that there is a countdown for when you are eligible to bring your SSDI benefits claim forward. What’s more, we offer free initial consultations. So you really should not wait too long before contacting a skilled New Jersey SSDI attorney from The Law Offices of Sheryl Gandel Mazur.
