Some lawyers will tell you to apply on your own and only come to them, if you get turned down. That's because they don't make much money if they get you approved on your initial application. The only payment they can legally charge you is a percentage of your back benefits when you actually get approved. The longer it takes to get approved, the more back benefits there will be for them to get a slice of.

The law firm that helped me made absolutely nothing fron taking me as a client . . . zero, nada. I got approved so quickly that no back benefits had accumulated. They are fine with that. That's why I highly recommend those big firms that advertize on TV and on the Net. If they think you've got a reasonable chance of winning, they take you right away. Now how do they decide if you have that reasonable chance? One of the main things they look for is if you have a doctor who supports you applying.

I had a very supportive doctor. The advice the doctor gave me about the process, however, was not helpful at all. He told me that I would have a long, slow wait to get approved. I got approved in 3 months. (Largely because I bought books, written by lawyers, telling me how to fill out the paperwork.)

If you want medical advice, see a doctor. If you want legal advice, see an attorney. If someone advises you to do something, without indicating why they recommend that action, ask for their rationale. Then check if that rationale is true. Some people will tell you that you save money by avoiding getting a lawyer. The longer the process drags out, the more money that's in it attorneys.

Also, the severity of your problem is not what counts. What counts is the extent of how the problem undermines your ability to hold down a job. Establishing that linkage can be mainly a matter of how your case is presented.