What should you know before choosing a Social Security disability attorney? Why choose us?
1. Will I be represented by a real attorney?
The Social Security Administration does not require a person to be a real attorney in order to represent others in a disability claim. Literally anybody can claim to be a "disability advocate" or "claimant's representative." With an attorney, you have the assurance of an individual who has graduated from college, completed three years of law school, passed a grueling legal exam, had a complete background check by the state bar, and is subject to the legal and ethical standards (and disciplinary procedures) of the state Supreme Court. At Callahan Law Firm, P.C., you are always represented by an attorney who is licensed by the South Carolina Supreme Court and who practices right here in coastal South Carolina, with principle office in North Charleston.
2. Does my representative have sufficient experience in Disability Benefits law?
While we believe that it is important to be represented by a real attorney, we do not think that is enough. Some lawyers can be a "jack of all trades," handling wreck cases one minute, workers compensation claims the next, and perhaps even divorces or criminal cases. We take a different approach. We feel that disability law in general, and Social Security disability law especially, is important enough to deserve being our only focus. The Social Security Administration, insurance companies, and other agencies have thousands of pages of laws, rules, and regulations about disability claims. Many of these rules can hurt you very much if you don't know about them. Others can help you win your case, but only if you (or your attorney) know how to use them. For nearly ten years, Attorney Jim Callahan has dedicated his law practice exclusively to disability benefits law, representing persons who have been wrongfully denied disability benefits from the Social Security Administration, long-term disability insurance companies, the South Carolina Retirement Systems, and other disability retirement programs.
3. Will I be really be represented by a South Carolina law firm and attorney?
Some "disability companies" and other outfits claim to provide Social Security disability representation "nationwide." They generally handle the paperwork from some central office in another state. You may not know until the last minute who will be appearing with you at the critical hearing with the Social Security judge. (Even worse, the person representing you may not know until the last minute, either!) You may not always be safe by going through a local law firm, either. Some law firms that claim to represent persons for Social Security disability, actually hire an outsider to do all the work, or may even sell your case to some other organization that may be from out-of-state. At the Callahan Law Firm, you will always be working with our own staff, and will always know that you are being represented by the attorney that you hired right here in South Carolina. While nobody can claim to know every doctor, clinic, or hospital, our local presence means that we can understand what you are doing to get medical treatment, including the challenges you face and the opportunities that may be present. There may be some especially complicated cases or high level appeals where we will also associate the expertise of other South Carolina attorneys with additional unique experience and resources. Even in these few cases, we will always remain intimately involved in your case - we don't pawn you off to somebody else.
4. When it is time to go to a hearing, who will be representing me? (In other words, "Is what I see -- what I get?")
At the Callahan Law Firm, you know what and who you are getting. Jim Callahan is the attorney, and for the past five years since establishing his own law firm, has represented every client at every hearing. While it is possible that future growth may result in the addition of another attorney, you can be assured that the attorney who goes to your hearing will have been closely involved in your case over a long period of time. You do not need to be afraid that you will not know until the last minute who will be representing you, or whether that person is familiar with your case and you personally. And, we appear routinely before the Social Security judges based in Charleston and Columbia, who hear almost all of the cases from persons living in eastern South Carolina including the coastal region, lowcountry, Grand Strand, Pee Dee, Santee-Cooper, and midlands.
5. My long-term disability insurance company is telling me they will provide me a "free" representative for my Social Security disability claim. Is that a good idea?
Most long-term disability insurance companies require you to apply for Social Security disability in order to collect your long-term disability benefits. That is because the long-term disability insurance company can usually pay you much less (and sometimes nothing at all!) if you start getting Social Security disability. They offer to arrange for you to have a representative of their choice, so that they can also receive part of the representative's fee. Their representative actually might be one of the national "disability companies." However, you always have the right to be represented by an attorney of your choice, not the insurance company's choice. And, the cost to you will almost always be the same whether you choose your own local attorney, or let your claim be handled by a national outfit working at the request of the insurance company. It's a choice of whether the fee for handling your case is paid to the insurance company (or its agents), or to a local attorney that you personally choose. At Callahan Law Firm, you can always be assured that we are working solely on your behalf, we will not share personal medical information with the insurance company, and we will not drop you just because the long-term disability insurance company stops your payments.
