Many prospective clients wonder how much money they need to set aside before they hire our Social Security disability lawyers to help them appeal a denial from Social Security. The answer is simple: nothing! There is ZERO upfront cost associated with hiring a disability attorney. This is a relief to many disability applicants who are suffering from impairments which prevent them from working (and therefore prevent them from having money to pay a lawyer).
Your Social Security Attorney Only Gets Paid if They Win Your Case
How is this possible, you ask? It’s possible because Social Security attorneys are paid at the end of the case from the back pay. The fee agreement you sign with disability lawyer is a contingency fee agreement – meaning the fee is contingent on success. If disability is never awarded to the client, then there is no fee at all. When a case is approved, the lawyer’s fee comes from the back pay which accrued during the appeal. The amount a lawyer can charge as an attorney fee is governed by federal regulation. For cases that don’t require an advanced appeal beyond the hearing level, lawyers are limited to charging a fee equal to 25% of past due benefits and capped at $6,000.00.
These fees are paid automatically at the end of the case after an approval occurs. Social Security pays the lawyer their fee directly – in other words, clients don’t have to do any math or write a check. Social Security pays the lawyer their fee directly and pays the client the rest of the back pay.
Contingency Fees Allow Everyone Access to Experienced Social Security Attorneys and Their Expertise
This contingency fee arrangement allows people without any money to hire a lawyer for representation. This is especially important in the world of disability claims, where applicants are not working and sometimes live in poverty during the application and appeal. If disability applicants had to have $6,000.00 upfront for a retainer, the cost would likely be prohibitive. Without contingency fees, disability applicants would be constructively denied the right to representation and would likely go unrepresented in most cases.
At Keller & Keller, we've been fighting for the rights of people just like you since 1936. Whether your considing filing your initial Social Security application, or have already been denied and need to file an appeal, our Social Security attorneys are here to help. Fill out the form on this page to request your free, no-obligation consultation with our team of lawyers today.
