How do attorneys who help Social Security disability claimants get paid?

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How do representatives who help Social Security disability claimants get paid?

Answering your question.

If you’re thinking about hiring a lawyer to help with your Social Security Disability case, one of the first things you might wonder is: “How much will it cost me?” The good news is, you don’t have to pay anything up front. Social Security Disability attorneys work on something called a “contingency fee.”

Let me explain what that means in simple terms:

You Only Pay If You Win

• You do not pay anything to hire the lawyer at the beginning of the case.
• The attorney only gets paid if you are approved for disability benefits.
• If you don’t win, you owe the lawyer nothing for their time.
  

How Much Do They Get Paid?

The attorney gets paid a percentage of your back pay (this is the money Social Security owes you for the time you were disabled but not yet approved).

• The fee is usually 25% of your back pay, but the maximum the lawyer can charge is $7,200 — whichever is less.
• Example: If your back pay is $10,000, the lawyer gets $2,500.
   If your back pay is $40,000, the lawyer gets $7,200 (because that’s the legal limit)

This fee is set by the federal government, not by the lawyer — so it’s the same across the country.

How Is the Lawyer Paid?

• Social Security takes the fee directly out of your back pay and sends it to your lawyer.
• You don’t have to write the lawyer a check or worry about paying them yourself.
  

Important Notes:

• The fee only covers work done up to the point you win your case.
   If your case goes into federal court (rare), other rules may apply, but your lawyer will explain that.
• You may have to pay for small costs like copying medical records or mailing paperwork, but these are usually low (and many lawyers don’t charge them unless you win).
  

Why Hire a Disability Lawyer?

Most people get denied the first time they apply. A lawyer knows how to:

• Present your medical records the right way
• Fill out forms and meet deadlines
• Talk to the judge for you if there’s a hearing
• Give you the best shot at getting approved
  

In short:

Hiring a lawyer doesn’t cost anything up front. If you win, they take a fair portion of your back pay — and nothing from your future monthly checks.