What Do You Pay When Hiring Social Security Lawyers for Your Disability Claim?

Posted on: 31 May 2018

Social Security lawyers can help you file your disability claims and win your case. They manage your appeals, when necessary, and collect and collate the proof you need to get your claim accepted. For all of the work your Social Security Disability lawyer does and will do to make sure you get your benefits, there is a price. Here is what it will cost you, and why some lawyers may wait for your benefits ship to come in.

The Retainer

No lawyer on the face of this planet is willing to start work on a case without a retainer. Your retainer is your commitment to hiring the lawyer and signifies the start of a working relationship. Depending on where you live and who you hire, your fee may be as little as $1,500, to as much as $5,000 or more. The retainer helps pay the fees your lawyer pays for court and filing paperwork, as well as many of the lawyer's own fees and salary. When the retainer is gone, the lawyer begins to charge you his or her hourly rate of pay.

The Hourly Rates of Pay

Some lawyers charge $60 per hour, while others charge $600 an hour. Lawyers may pro-rate the amount, too, charging you by the quarter hour based on his/her usual hourly rate. If you can find a lawyer who charges an average of about $300 an hour, you should start saving in advance for at least forty hours of work, a sum total of $12,000. If your lawyer does not work a full extra forty hours beyond the expended retaining fee, then you will have that extra money in savings to help with other bills.

Appeals Are Equal to Rehiring Rates

If your lawyer does not win your disability case, you can appeal. However, if you expect the same lawyer to handle the appeal process, you will need to supply him/her with a fresh retainer fee and be ready to pay off any remaining charges, PLUS have the money ready to pay him/her for the new batch of hours. In essence, you are rehiring him/her to handle the appeal, and not really continuing your original working relationship.

Why Some Lawyers May Wait for Your Benefits to Start

Because it can take a minimum of six months to start receiving benefits, even when you and your lawyer win your disability case, you do not have a lot of money to start with. However, the Social Security Administration does backdate your benefits to the filing and application date. If you are going to get about $1,200 per month in benefits, that comes out to $7,200 of backdated payments! This is why some lawyers agree to represent you until your benefits are deposited into your account.