Disability hearing representation

A Social Security disability hearing is your chance to explain your case directly to an administrative law judge, with new evidence and expert testimony in the record. Hearings can be held by online video or phone, so your representative does not need to live near you or your hearing office.

We represent claimants at hearings in all 50 states. This page covers what happens at a hearing, how we prepare, and what comes after.

What a disability hearing is

A hearing is the second level of appeal. You can request one within 60 days after receiving a reconsideration denial. An administrative law judge, not the state agency that denied you, decides the case.

The hearing is informal, but it is recorded and you testify under oath or affirmation. The judge explains the issues and asks you questions. The judge may also call a vocational expert or a medical expert. You and your representative can question any witness.

It is usually the first time a decision maker hears from you in person rather than reading about you on paper. That is why preparation matters so much. Your representative can help you and your witnesses get ready, but cannot testify in your place.

Your hearing is remote, so your representative does not need to be local

SSA holds hearings in several ways:

• Online video, from your own computer or phone. SSA schedules this only if you agree to it, and you can withdraw that agreement before the hearing.
• Telephone, where SSA calls you at your number.
• Agency video, at an SSA site with video equipment.
• In person, at a hearing office.

SSA’s notice explains your options and includes forms to agree to or object to certain formats. If you object to phone or agency video, you must do so in writing within 30 days after receiving that notice.

With online video and phone hearings, everyone joins from where they are. Our representatives work from Utah and appear at hearings across the country. What matters is knowing SSA’s rules and your file, not living near the judge.

How we prepare your case before the hearing

Hearings are won or lost on the record. Preparation starts well before the hearing date.

• We review your full SSA file. We read what the state agency saw and the reasons it gave for denying you.
• We request missing records. Treatment notes, test results and records from every provider you have seen.
• We ask your providers for detail. A diagnosis alone rarely decides a case. We seek statements that describe what you can and cannot do.
• We meet the evidence deadline. SSA’s rules require written evidence to reach the hearing office no later than 5 business days before the hearing. Late evidence is accepted only in limited situations, so we plan around that date.
• We frame the issues. We match your evidence to the questions SSA asks, such as whether you can do your past work or adjust to other work, given your age, education and experience.

Timing and postponements

SSA sends notice of your hearing date, time and format at least 75 days in advance. If your hearing is scheduled less than about three months away when you hire us, we usually ask SSA to postpone it so the case can be prepared properly. The judge decides whether to grant that request. With three or more months, there is usually time to prepare without one.

How we prepare you to testify

Most people have never testified before. We make sure it does not feel like a surprise.

• We go over the questions judges commonly ask. Your daily routine, your symptoms on a typical day, your treatment, why you stopped working and what your past jobs required.
• We help you describe your limits accurately. Many people downplay how hard things are. A clear, honest account of a bad day matters as much as a good one.
• We check for consistency. Your testimony should line up with your medical records. If something in the file looks off, we talk about it beforehand.
• We cover the logistics. For online video or phone hearings, we make sure you know how to join, where to sit and what to have nearby.

Vocational and medical experts at the hearing

A judge may call two kinds of expert witnesses.

Vocational experts testify about jobs. The judge usually asks them whether someone with your age, education, work history and limitations could do your past work or other work. The answer often turns on the exact limits the judge describes.

Medical experts may testify about the medical evidence in your file.

You and your representative have the right to question both. We prepare questions in advance, for example asking how an added limitation, such as needing extra breaks or missing work several days a month, would change the vocational expert’s answer.

We know your hearing office

Hearing offices differ in how long cases wait and how often judges approve them. We use SSA’s own data to know what to expect where your hearing will be held.

According to SSA’s ALJ Disposition Data for FY 2026, administrative law judges nationally approved 57.5% of the hearing decisions they issued from September 27, 2025 through August 28, 2026. In SSA’s Average Wait Time Until Hearing Held report for August 2026, average waits at individual hearing offices ranged from 7 to 12 months. Results vary and past outcomes do not predict any individual result.

You can look up the approval rate and wait time for your office on hearing offices, or read the full Social Security disability statistics report.

What happens after the hearing

After the hearing, the judge issues a written decision based on all the evidence. The hearing office mails a copy to you and to your representative.

• If the decision is favorable, SSA processes your benefits. Our fee is paid only then, out of past-due benefits, as SSA approves.
• If the decision is unfavorable, you have 60 days after receiving it to ask the Appeals Council for review. We will go over the decision with you and whether a request makes sense.

To understand every level that follows, see Social Security disability appeals. If you have just been denied and have not requested a hearing yet, start with what to do after a denial.

Common questions

Do I have to appear on camera?

Not necessarily. Online video is used only if you agree. Phone, agency video and in-person hearings are other options SSA describes in its notice.

Can I bring a family member as a witness?

The judge may hear from witnesses, and you and your representative can question them. Tell us early who knows your daily limitations well.

What if my hearing is only a few weeks away?

Call us anyway. When a hearing is less than about three months out, we usually ask SSA for a postponement so the case can be prepared properly.