In 1969 President Nixon further strengthened affirmative action through Executive Order 11478, which required government contractors to develop goals for increasing the representation of historically disadvantaged groups and timetables for achieving them.
First, the amount of the fee cannot be more than the maximum that Social Security allows: the lesser of 25% of backpay or $6,000. For example, if your backpay award is $20,000, your attorney can collect $5,000 (25% of $20,000). Second, the agreement must be signed by the Social Security claimant and the attorney. If the claimant is a child, a parent should sign for the child. If the claimant is an adult with a guardian, the guardian should sign.
These sorts of cases can drag on for many years and require a lot of work for disability attorneys. In these situations, a lawyer is permitted to file a fee petition with Social Security to allow their fee to exceed the maximum of $6,000. First, the basics: Federal law generally limits the fees charged by Social Security disability attorneys to 25% of your backpay, or $6,000, whichever is lower. Back payments are benefits that accrued while you were waiting for Social Security to approve your case.