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Home :: FAQ :: Social Security Disability Hearing

Once my case has been reviewed and accepted into the Social Security Hearing process, What happens next?

Once your request for hearing is received by Social Security and forwarded along with your file to the Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR).

ODAR will send you a letter confirming receipt of your case.

ODAR will review your case to see if an immediate favorable decision without holding a hearing is possible.  If not your case awaits its turn to be prepared for hearing.  The file is prepared for and reviewed by and Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) and then scheduled for hearing.  Because of the large number of cases ODAR receives each month, this process can take up to 24 months or more.

You will receive notification of the hearing date in the mail approximately 20 days in advance.  If you have an attorney or other person representing you, he/she will also be notified.  Contact your treating Physicians to make sure you have provided your attorney with all updated medical records.
 
You will attend your hearing and testify.  The Judge will ask you questions or ask your attorney to ask you pertinent questions.  Your testimony and your work and medical history will be reviewed by a Vocational Expert (VE) and/or a Medical Expert (ME), who is a medical doctor.  Your attorney (as we are at Mike Murburg P.A.) should be skilled at trial and cross-examination, so that he can cross-examine these expert witness so that they can give testimony in your favor.

The ALJ will make his/her decision shortly following the hearing, providing no additional evidence has been requested.

The decision is then written, typed, corrected, and finally signed by the ALJ.  It takes between six to eight weeks for the Judge to issue the decision.

In summary, you can expect to wait 24 months from the time you file your request until you actually have your hearing.  You can expect to wait another 2 months until you receive your decision in the mail.

Since the decision is not final until written notice is sent, the outcome of the hearing can not be discussed with you over the telephone prior to your receipt of a written decision.

To expedite your Hearing Request, be sure to send in all available medical and/or non-medical evidence, or have your Attorney/Representative do so as soon as possible.  This additional evidence could make the difference in the Judge deciding your case sooner.  So you must keep your attorney updated as to all of your physicians and listing facilities and tests as your case progresses.

At Mike Murburg P.A. we are committed to providing quality public service and doing everything possible to help your case.  Submitting additional evidence will enable us to process your hearing request more quickly.