Thank you. I have been afraid to fire my lawyer because I was afraid he
would sent me a bill. I'll start looking for another lawyer. This is
actually for my husband, and to be honest, I tend to be on the timid side,
so it's hard for me to fight for things.

> ----------
> From:         [log in to unmask]
> Reply To:     Parkinson's Information Exchange Network
> Sent:         Wednesday, October 3, 2001 11:37 PM
> To:   [log in to unmask]
> Subject:      various points re:  SSDI (attorneys and proof)
>
> Hello,
>
>        The core of a successful application for SSDI is complete, accurate
> information as to the disability and the effects upon the job and job
> performance.  [If you are being evaluated on a private disability program
> every month, someone, your doctor, or the administrative people for that
> program, think you need to be evaluated every month.  Look carefully at
> what
> the doctor has written and provide an addendum as to continuity of  the
> condition.  They may be waiting for you to get worse as well as to get
> better
> before your status has changed.  Ask questions and....]
>
>        Get a good attorney.  An attorney who does not work on your case,
> who
> continually avoids you and your phone calls, etc., is not a good attorney.
> Call your local bar organization (attorney professional grouping) and
> check
> in the yellow pages of your phone book for lawyer referral programs.  Some
> states have lists of those fancy-dancy $500/hr attorneys who take certain
> cases for free or at reduced rates as part of an ethical or pro bono
> obligation  as well as lists of attorneys who do disability cases.  You
> want
> a specialist, and look for one very carefully.  Ask, ask, ask.  There are
> PD
> organizations and support groups which may be able to help.
>
>        Nancy, dont be afraid: fire your attorney and get a good disability
> specialist for your state and SSDI.  Attorneys are changed all the time,
> and
> it does not hurt you or your case if you get rid of your current "lawyer."
> And dont worry about the bill: if he has the gall to give you a bill, dont
> pay it and explain why and then indicate that if he continues to try to
> collect on the bill, you will report him to your state's professional
> responsibility board.  It is easier to get new attorney, and then contact
> old
> attorney's office to make arrangements re: transfer of your file to your
> new
> attorney.  New attorney may even take care of that, and all questions
> about a
> large bill, as a courtesy to you.  Dont wait, dont walk:  run to the best
> disability specialist you can find.  Money here is well spent, and many
> attorneys who work with SSDI take their fees out of the back-pay, lump-sum
> settlement you get from SSDI anyway and do not require you to pay in
> advance
> (except possibly for expenses, if any).
>
> A friend of mine does many SSDI applications and appeals.  He said he
> would
> work on the appeal for me, as a professional courtesy, but I had to do the
> application.  I grumbled and groaned, but I did it.  I was a criminal
> defense
> lawyer, and I did not want to do the application.  In retrospect I was
> being
> lazy.   My application was approved in less than two months, and some time
> was expended because I had to wait for a copy of my birth certificate to
> arrive from out-of-state.  All of my medical and diagnostic work was
> completed; I attached a copy of my neuropsychological exam, and various
> neurological reports to the application itself.  I made certain all the
> information I wanted social security to have was with my primary
> neurologist,
> and I put him first in the list for release of information.  For instance
> I
> fed information from a speech therapist to that neurologist so that social
> security would get it.  I made certain that I had complete and accurate
> information for release of information;  I called each entity and I said
> social security is going to contact you and I just want to make certain
> that
> there will be a rapid and complete transfer of information without any
> glitches.  I made certain that I knew what social security would get from
> each entity and what that would show about my disability and my ability to
> continue to work.  And it worked.  And my application was approved by SSDI
> very quickly.  My state disability, because I was a state employee, built
> upon SSDI but took much, much longer to be approved, but those delays were
> not caused by me.  I had a state disability insurance policy which
> requires
> that I apply for SSDI and state disability as a means of minimizing costs
> of
> the disability insurance, and of the disability payments, for the state.
>
> BTW if there had been an appeal, and there was a hearing, I would have
> gone
> without meds and without make-up, brought a driver with me, and done
> whatever
> I could to show that I was sick, that I had PD, and that the PD interfered
> with my ability to work.  Rayiln you did exactly what you had to do on the
> second try and without counsel..  You should feel proud.  I admire what
> you
> did.  Katie
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to:
> mailto:[log in to unmask]
> In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn
>
>

----------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask]
In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn