Best Social Security Disability Attorneys for Denied Claims

Social Security disability lawyers are generally paid under a federally regulated fee structure rather than setting their own rates. In most successful claims, attorney fees are limited to 25% of your past-due benefits, up to a maximum amount established by federal rules. Since fees are largely standardized, experience and success with disability hearings often matter more when choosing an attorney. The firms below were selected based on our evaluation criteria.

Our team evaluates Social Security Disability Lawyers on credentials, track record, and client reviews to help you find a good fit.

  • Bar standing and public disciplinary history review
  • Documented case results and courtroom trial experience
  • Peer recognition within the legal community
  • Client reviews, communication, and responsiveness
  • Aggregate satisfaction signals from independent sources

Rankings are determined independently based on public information and editorial research.

Find Top Social Security Disability Attorneys Near Me

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Top-Rated SSDI Lawyers for Appeals and ALJ Hearings

Screenshot of the Kraft & Associates, Attorneys at Law, P.C. Website
2777 N Stemmons Fwy Suite #1300, Dallas, TX 75207, USA

Kraft & Associates is a Dallas Social Security disability lawyer and injury practice that opened its doors in 1971. Robert A. Kraft, Matthew Stewart, and William Stacy Webb lead the team.

Disability claims and injury cases run on a contingency fee, so clients pay nothing unless money is recovered. Staff here have stayed with the firm an average of 25 years, which keeps case handling steady.

The office publishes free guides on the SSD application process and the errors claimants make most often. Coverage reaches Dallas, Fort Worth, and the wider North Texas region, and the staff se habla espanol.

Screenshot of the Fields Law Firm Website
9999 Wayzata Blvd #100, Minnetonka, MN 55305, USA

Every year this Minnetonka practice represents thousands of injured and disabled workers in all 50 states. Fields Law Firm built its caseload around disability, workers' compensation, and injury claims.

More than 100 legal professionals handle long-term, short-term, and Social Security disability applications and appeals under one roof. Founder Steve Fields backs cases with the Win-Win Guarantee, which means no fee unless the firm wins.

Attorneys here have earned National Trial Lawyers Top 100 and Million Dollar Advocates Forum recognition. Consumer rights work rounds out the practice, including credit report and mortgage errors after bankruptcy.

Screenshot of the The Bishop Law Firm Website
8374 Six Forks Rd STE 101, Raleigh, NC 27615, USA

Attorney Kimberly Bishop began practicing disability law in 2008 and is certified by the North Carolina State Bar as a Social Security Disability Law Specialist.

She has appeared before administrative law judges in Raleigh, Greensboro, Fayetteville, and Charlotte. Her Raleigh office also takes personal injury and work injury claims across the state.

Cases run on a contingency basis, and there is no fee unless the client wins.

Screenshot of the MCV Law Website
511 E Fayette St, Syracuse, NY 13202, USA

Few practices run a comp claim, a benefits case, and an injury lawsuit side by side. MCV Law does, and that coordination is the Syracuse firm's calling card.

One workplace accident can trigger all three, so its attorneys work the files together to maximize what a client takes home. The Social Security disability attorneys here handle denials, hearings before an administrative law judge, and appeals, plus veterans' disability compensation.

Offices in Syracuse, Auburn, and Chittenango cover Central and Northern New York, from Watertown down to Ithaca. The team holds Super Lawyers and Avvo recognition and belongs to NOSSCR.

Screenshot of the Gustad Law Group Website
7815 Greenwood Ave N, Seattle, WA 98103, USA

VA accreditation separates this Seattle practice from most disability firms. John-Paul Gustad has spent more than 24 years on SSDI and SSI claims, along with veterans whose service-connected ratings were denied or cut short.

Gustad Law Group works from offices in Seattle, Tacoma, and Spokane, and takes SSDI and VA matters nationwide. Car crash and nursing home neglect cases round out the caseload.

Screenshot of the Shook & Stone Personal Injury and Disability Lawyers Website

More than $1.45 billion recovered and 25,000 wins sit behind this Las Vegas practice, which opened in 1998.

Shook & Stone splits its work between catastrophic injury litigation and benefit claims, including SSDI and Nevada work injury cases. An online eligibility quiz lets people gauge a claim before they call.

Phones are answered around the clock, and the firm keeps offices in Las Vegas, Summerlin, and Reno.

Screenshot of the Ginsberg Law Offices Website
1854 Independence Square, Atlanta, GA 30338, USA

Founded in 1997 by attorneys Jonathan and Jodi Brenner Ginsberg, this family-run Atlanta office covers work injuries, disability benefits, and personal bankruptcy.

Two of counsel attorneys, Susan Blum and Fred Green, take bankruptcy and work injury matters. The building sits just north of the Chamblee Dunwoody exit on I-285, with free parking and ground-floor access.

Jonathan also produces a long-running disability podcast and video channel for claimants.

Screenshot of the Schiffman Law Website
4506 N 12th St, Phoenix, AZ 85014, USA

Arizona claimants have leaned on Schiffman Law Office since 1975. Best Lawyers named Alan M. Schiffman a Phoenix Lawyer of the Year for workers' compensation claimants in 2016, 2020, and 2024.

Attorneys here bring over 50 years of combined experience with SSD and long-term disability claims. The firm also challenges bad-faith insurance denials.

Appointments are available in Phoenix, Mesa, and Scottsdale, and the staff speaks Spanish.

Screenshot of the Khattar Law, PC Website
1616 San Pedro Ave, San Antonio, TX 78212, USA

Khattar Law, PC has helped more than 40,000 people across Texas and California since 1991.

Principal attorney Jason Khattar and his San Antonio team file SSI and SSDI applications, push appeals through the SSA process, and take auto accident claims. Clients also come from Austin, Dallas, and Houston.

Screenshot of the The Law Offices of Benjamin Misko Website
1340 Poydras St #2030, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA

Ben Misko has guided hundreds of disabled Louisianans through the Social Security claims process from his downtown New Orleans office on Poydras Street.

He belongs to NOSSCR, the Louisiana State Bar Association, and the Louisiana Association for Justice. Car crashes, falls, and other accident claims round out the practice, and case reviews cost nothing.

Screenshot of the Larry Pitt & Associates, P.C. Website
409 S 20th St, Philadelphia, PA 19146, USA

Philadelphia workers have carried injury and benefit claims to Larry Pitt & Associates for more than 40 years.

The firm took gold in Social Security disability law at the 2025 Philly Favorites awards. Its attorneys file SSDI applications, gather medical proof, appeal denials, and prepare clients for hearings.

Representation reaches Bucks, Delaware, Chester, Montgomery, and Berks counties.

Screenshot of the Injury & Disability Law Office of Wisconsin Website

Jason Oldenburg founded this Milwaukee practice and works alongside attorney James Barrett. Between them, they bring over 25 years of experience with work injury and SSD benefit claims.

Reported outcomes include $500,000 for a client who needed a neck fusion and $418,000 for an elevator repair technician. Both attorneys hold Super Lawyers recognition in Wisconsin.

Screenshot of the Lanier Law Group, P.A. Website
5515 Monroe Rd, Charlotte, NC 28212, USA

Thirty years in, Lanier Law Group works out of nine North Carolina offices, including one on Monroe Road in Charlotte.

Reported results include $4.3 million from a head-on collision with a tractor-trailer. Attorney Ashley Sappenfield leads the SSDI side of the practice, which also covers medical negligence and workplace accidents.

Screenshot of the Law Office of Richard R. Madore, P.C. Website
201 Washington St Suite 2600, Boston, MA 02108, USA

Richard Madore practices alone, so the attorney a client meets is the one who works the file start to finish. He has closed hundreds of SSD claims and injury cases from his Boston office, and takes disability clients throughout New England.

Screenshot of the Nationwide Disability Representatives Website

Bill B. Berke has spent 35 years on delayed and denied benefit claims, and his Cape Coral team operates as Berke Law Firm, P.A. Florida clients come for SSDI, SSI, and accident representation, with initial consultations at no charge.

Screenshot of the Hankey Marks & Crider Website
429 E Vermont St #200, Indianapolis, IN 46202

Partners Stacy Crider and Ashley Marks head an Indianapolis team with more than 80 years of combined experience. Published approvals show back pay awards ranging from $25,000 to nearly $98,000. ERISA and long-term disability litigation are handled here too.

824-E North John Young Parkway, Kissimmee, FL 34741

Chad Lawrence spent his early career defending insurance companies and has practiced in Florida since 1987. That background now serves claimants in work injury and SSD matters. Martindale-Hubbell rates him AV Preeminent, and the firm keeps offices in Kissimmee and Tampa.

Screenshot of the Denman Law Office Website
1105 Stonewall St. Suite 503A-1, Garland, TX 75043

Stanley Denman has taken nothing but disability cases since 1991, and that single focus is the pitch. His Dallas-Fort Worth practice charges no fee unless the claim is won, and he will meet clients at home or in the hospital.

Screenshot of the Marc Whitehead & Associates Attorneys at Law, LLP Website

Board certification in both personal injury trial law and Social Security disability law is rare. Marc Whitehead holds both, and he is an accredited veterans claims attorney as well. His Houston firm takes denied benefit claims from all 50 states.

Screenshot of the Ehrenreich And Associates Website
526 Superior Ave, Cleveland, OH 44114, USA

Four decades in the Leader Building on Superior Avenue have kept Ehrenreich & Associates busy with injury, workplace injury, and Social Security claims. Medical negligence cases are handled here as well, and the attorneys have won multi-million dollar settlements.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a Social Security disability lawyer cost?

Nothing up front. Fees come out of past-due benefits, and the SSA has to approve them. Under a standard fee agreement, the fee is 25 percent of back pay or $9,200, whichever is less.

How long do I have to appeal a denial?

Sixty days. The clock starts when you receive the denial notice, and SSA assumes you got it five days after the date on it. Miss the deadline and you may have to start a new application, which can cost you months of back pay.

What is the five-step sequential evaluation?

The test SSA applies to every claim. It asks whether you are working and whether your impairment is severe. Then it asks whether the condition meets a listing. The last two steps look at your past work and any other work you could do. Most claims are won or lost at those final steps.

How much can I earn and still qualify?

Below the SGA limit. For 2026, substantial gainful activity is $1,690 a month for most claimants and $2,830 for statutorily blind claimants. SSA looks at gross earnings, not take-home pay.

What is the difference between SSDI and SSI?

Work credits versus financial need. SSDI is based on the taxes you paid while working. SSI is a needs-based program with income and resource limits. The medical standard is the same for both, and some people qualify for both at once.

Do I really need a lawyer for a disability claim?

Not required, but it matters at the hearing. Applications can be filed alone. Representation tends to help most once a claim reaches an administrative law judge. Medical evidence and vocational expert testimony decide the outcome there.

Types of Social Security Disability Claims

Initial applications. A representative can build the medical record before the first decision instead of after. Filing errors and thin evidence are common reasons for early denials.

Reconsideration appeals. This is the first appeal level in most states, reviewed by Disability Determination Services. Approval rates are low, so many cases move on to a hearing.

ALJ hearings. An administrative law judge takes testimony from the claimant and often a vocational expert. Preparing the claimant and cross-examining that expert is the core skill here.

Appeals Council and federal court. If the judge denies the claim, the Appeals Council reviews for legal error. A federal district court lawsuit is the next step after that.

Continuing disability reviews. SSA periodically checks whether beneficiaries still meet the standard. A review can end benefits, and it carries its own appeal rights.

Child, widow, and survivor benefits. Disabled adult children, widows, and widowers qualify under separate rules. These claims are easy to overlook when applying alone.

How to Choose a Social Security Disability Lawyer

Ask how many hearings they have handled. Volume in front of administrative law judges tracks skill better than years in practice. Some firms take mostly injury work and handle benefits on the side.

Check whether an attorney or a staff member appears with you. Non-attorney representatives are allowed at SSA hearings. Ask who will actually stand up at yours.

Ask who gathers the medical records. Winning cases usually turn on treating-source opinions and current treatment notes. A firm that leaves record collection to you is a warning sign.

Confirm they handle federal court appeals. Not every practice follows a case past the Appeals Council. Knowing that now saves a handoff later.

Read the fee agreement before signing. The 25 percent fee is standard, but case expenses like medical record fees are separate. Ask what those typically run.

Look for coverage of related claims. One condition can support an SSDI claim, a long-term disability policy claim, and a VA rating at the same time. Firms that handle all three can keep the medical evidence consistent.