HOW DO WE HELP?

If you're are in need of a knowledgeable Sacramento Social Security representative then look no further.  We will thouroughly review the facts, and if we accept your case, we will considerably limit your contact with SSA; thus, relieving you of a lot of unnecessary stress. We do not assist claimants in preparing and submitting their initial application for disability benefits, as this can be done at the local Social Security office or online. Once you have received a denial of benefits letter, we will begin the next steps for appeal. We will assist you in obtaining your medical records and submitting them to SSA. We will also prepare and develop your case in the fashion most likely to lead to an award of disability benefits. If it becomes necessary for you to appear before an administrative law judge, we will thoroughly prepare you for the hearing. In most cases we draft a pre-hearing brief outlining the merits of your case and submit it to the judge before the hearing. We will then attend the hearing with you to present your case and cross-examine any of the government's experts if necessary. Sometimes there will be a vocational expert, a medical expert, or both. With an experienced disability representative, you will not have to worry about what to say or do.  Getting Social Security Disability legal services through the Law Offices of Steven Berniker APC is a recipe for success.

HOW ARE WE PAID?

We do not collect a fee unless your claim is approved. In some cases, your claim will be approved without having to go to an administrative hearing. In those cases, we are still entitled to collect our fees. Fees are capped by statute at $6000 or 25% of retroactive benefits, whichever is less. In any case, we do not charge for travel, meals, office supplies, postage, phone calls, emails, or any other ancillary costs. You have nothing to lose by asking us to represent you.

WHAT TO EXPECT?

It is commonly known that only about 15% of all claims for disability benefits are accepted at the initial application level. If the Social Security Administration (SSA) denies your initial disability claim, which is likely, we will pursue your claim thru the three-stage administrative review process.

The second stage is  called "reconsideration". At this stage, a different Social Security bureaucrat reviews your case. Not surprisingly, at this level, only a very few cases are awarded benefits.

At the third stage you are entitled to a hearing before an administrative law judge. The majority of claims that are awarded are won at the hearing level. If you are represented at hearing, your chances of winning increase considerably.