An important dimension of choosing a social security disability attorney is to determine how much of that lawyer’s practice is social security disability: does she handle only social security disability or is social security disability only a small part of the firm’s practice.
Traditionally, many social security disability attorneys are also personal injury/trial lawyers. Many experienced and competent social security disability lawyers across the nation fit in to this category.
But the financial pressures on personal injury lawyers cause by “Tort Reform”, particularly in the state of Texas, have been substantial. There are now several “Personal Injury Practice Management” type seminars being marketed to lawyers that encourage personal injury lawyers to supplement their injury practice income with a social security disability practice. Now in North Texas we are seeing two major, heavy (and cheesy) TV advertising car wreck lawyers starting to handle social security disability cases (hint: think “Hammer” and “Strong Arm”).
In my opinion you need a social security disability lawyer who devotes most or all of his or her practice to Social Security disability claims. Be careful with a lawyer or law firm that “wears too many hats”. Look for an attorney who has conducted hundreds of administrative law judge hearings, not a firm that had decided of late to “test the waters” in social security disability representation.
Read the last post in this important series.