Statistically, the vast majority of Social Security Disability (SSDI/SSD) and SSI claims are denied at the initial claim and reconsideration levels, whether or not a disability claimant (applicant) is represented by an attorney or non-attorney disability advocate. (When we asked readers recently, we found that 28% of those who hired a lawyer to help them fill out the initial application were approved compared to 20% of those who didn't.)

For this reason, most SSDI and SSI claims will need to go to a hearing in front of an administrative law judge (ALJ) before a claimant can hope to receive disability benefits. It is at the level of an ALJ hearing that having a disability attorney or non-attorney representative,a.k.a. a disability advocate, can really help win a claim. While a disability attorney or non-attorney representative can't guarantee that a claimant will be awarded Social Security Disability or SSI benefits, a Social Security lawyer can guarantee that a case will be properly "developed" prior to a hearing date.