Although it happens infrequently there are times when a social security disability case will require considerably more work from the lawyer than is normal. If the case requires multiple hearings or it goes in front of the appeals council or even ends up in federal court you may be talking many years and a great deal of work on the part of the lawyer. In these types of situations SSI disability lawyers fees in Clinton MS can be higher than the maximum which is set at $6,000.
The basic fees agreements:
As social security is a federal government program it is the federal government that sets the limit on fees which can be charged by SSI disability lawyers. The amount that is currently in force is either $6,000 or 25 percent of the back pay which is granted, whichever is less. Back payments are those benefits that continue to accrue while you are waiting for your case to be approved by the SSA, Social Security Administration. The amount of back pay depends when your disability started, when the filing for benefits was made and the type of benefit you are applying for, either SSDI or SSI, both of which are quite different.
Typically the lawyer and the client enter into a fee agreement; this agreement is presented to the SSA for their approval. The agreement allows the SSA to withhold the appropriate amount from the claimants back pay which is paid directly to the lawyer. This arrangement is ideal as it saves the beneficiary the trouble of arranging payment to their lawyer and from the lawyers point of view it means he or she will not have to bill their client and wait for the payment. If you do not have to go through a hearing the fee will be considerably less than the maximum of $6,000 as the pay will be based on 25 percent of the back pay over a short period of time. SSI disability lawyers fees in Clinton MS are all paid under contingency arrangements meaning that no money is paid up-front by either the client or the administration, payment is only due upon the successful conclusion of the case.
In rare cases the lawyer may be able to charge a fee in excess of the federal maximum, a good example is if benefits were denied and the case went to the level of the appeals council or even to federal court.
There is a maximum amount set by federal law that SSI disability lawyers fees in Clinton MS cannot exceed except under rare circumstances and cases are taken on contingency. If you are applying for SSDI or SSI benefits you are invited to contact the Davis-Morris Law Firm.
