When you’re applying for Social Security disability benefits in New Jersey, you need the best New Jersey Social Security disability lawyer you can find. A lot of lawyers say they’re the best, but we have the awards and reviews to back it up. Attorney Patrick J. Best has not only been named a Super Lawyer Risking Star by Philadelphia Magazine, he is the author of The Essential Social Security Disability Survival Guide, and the host of the YouTube show “Social Security Disability with Patrick J. Best, Esq.” Need we say more?
Social Security Disability in New Jersey
With an office in middle of New Jersey, we are close to you no matter where you live. But before you even come into our office, we have free resources to help you get the process started.
First, Attorney Best hosts the ARM Lawyers YouTube show “Social Security Disability with Patrick J. Best, Esq.” in which he answers common questions from clients. This is a great starting point for many people. We address many of the common questions about the Social Security disability process in these videos.
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Second, Attorney Best offers his book, “The Essential Social Security Disability Survival Guide“, for FREE, just by requesting a copy. As part of the ARM Yourself With Knowledge series, this guide aims to help you navigate the process of filing for Social Security disability benefits from application through appeal.
If you would like to discuss your personal situation or if we didn’t answer your specific questions in our show, just give us a call and we’d be happy to discuss your case. Our consultations are completely free so you have nothing to lose. If you’d prefer to e-mail us, just click here for a free consultation.
Social Security Disability Insurance in New Jersey
The SSDI program pays benefits to workers who have disabilities that are severe enough to impair them from working. This program is separate and distinct from the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. Although there are some similarities between the programs. The SSDI program functions like an insurance program. Workers pay “premiums” in the form of taxes withheld in their paychecks.
In New Jersey, Social Security Disability Insurance applications are processed by New Jersey Division of Disability Determination Services. If you’re applying for disability benefits, you need a New Jersey Social Security disability lawyer who knows the process and knows how to navigate Disability Determination Services.
While you may have seen advertisements for large national firms, these firms rarely have an actual presence in New Jersey. This tends to show in the way these firms handle Social Security Disability cases in New Jersey. You need a New Jersey Social Security disability lawyer who handles cases in New Jersey and has offices in New Jersey.
SSDI benefits can greatly affect your quality of life. Our New Jersey Social Security disability attorney knows how important your case is, and knows how important the benefits would be. Whether you’re applying for SSDI or appealing a denial of SSDI, we can help.
Social Security Disability Process in New Jersey
The Social Security disability process in New Jersey starts with applying for SSDI. If your application is denied, you are afforded a series of appeals. We discuss the Social Security disability process in detail here, but we will outline the process below.
Applying for Social Security Disability in New Jersey
We typically recommend that you file your application for disability benefits in NJ with a New Jersey Social Security disability lawyer who knows the process. Too many times, people who file the application on their own inadvertently include incorrect information. Sometimes, phrasing things the wrong way can cause you to lose your claim!
It’s always better to speak with a New Jersey Social Security disability lawyer first to make sure the application is completed properly. Moreover, your application will be processed at a local, New Jersey field office. A New Jersey Social Security disability lawyer will work with these field office routinely and will be familiar with each field office’s individual practices.
Filing for Reconsideration in New Jersey
If your Social Security disability application has been denied, you will need to file a Request for Reconsideration. If your application has been denied, you should contact a New Jersey Social Security disability lawyer who is familiar with the reconsideration process.
Much like the Social Security disability application, the Reconsideration will be processed at a local, New Jersey field office. A New Jersey Social Security disability lawyer works with these field office routinely and will be familiar with each field office’s individual practices.
Social Security Disability Hearing in New Jersey
If your Request for Reconsideration has been denied, you will need to file a Request for Hearing with an Administrative Law Judge. The hearing is one of the most important parts of the Social Security disability process. To start, it has one of the highest probabilities of success if you have the right New Jersey Social Security disability lawyer. Moreover, the Social Security disability hearing process is one of the last opportunities for you to submit evidence in support of your claim. While you can appeal the decision after the hearing, you may not be able to add evidence. If you do not present your case properly at the hearing you can destroy your claim!
While it’s important to have a New Jersey Social Security disability lawyer at every stage of the process, the hearing stage is particularly important. There are only a handful of Social Security hearing offices in New Jersey. Each of these New Jersey hearing offices has their own Administrative Law Judges. Since a New Jersey Social Security disability lawyer has hearings in front of these judges routinely, that lawyer will know the judge’s preferences.
If you are located in New Jersey, you may be assigned to any of the following hearing offices:
- Jersey City: The Jersey City Hearing office is located at Second Floor, 325 West Side Avenue, Jersey City, NJ 07305 and services the following field offices: Clifton, Hackensack, Hoboken, Jersey City, Paterson.
- Newark: The Newark Hearing office is located at 3rd Floor, 1100 Raymond Boulevard, Newark, NJ 07102 and services the following field offices: East Orange, Neptune, New Brunswick, Newark, Newton, Parsippany, Somerville, Springfield Ave, Trenton, Union Township, Woodbridge.
- South Jersey: The South Jersey Hearing office is located at 2475 McClellan Avenue, Pennsauken, NJ 08109 and services the following field offices: Brick, Bridgeton, Cherry Hill, Egg Harbor Township, Glassboro, Mount Holly, Rio Grande, Toms River.
You’d be surprised, but a lawyer’s relationship with a judge is an important part of the process. A lawyer unfamiliar with a particular judge may not know the best way to approach your case.
If your lawyer doesn’t have offices in New Jersey, your lawyer does not likely practice in New Jersey routinely.
Appealing Social Security Disability Decision in New Jersey
If you are denied benefits after a hearing with an Administrative Law Judge, you will need to appeal the decision to the Appeals Council. During the Appeals Council process, it is important to have a New Jersey Social Security disability lawyer on your side. Many people are surprised to learn that while the Social Security Act is a federal law, it can be applied differently from state to state. If you don’t have a New Jersey Social Security disability lawyer, you may miss out on some arguments that are New Jersey specific.
While you may be told that any lawyer can file a Request for Review to the Appeals Council, if you live in New Jersey, you should have your Request for Review filed by a New Jersey Social Security disability lawyer with offices in New Jersey.
File a Civil Action in New Jersey
If your Request for Review is denied by the Appeals Council, you are officially out of appeals within the Social Security Administration. Your sole remaining remedy is to file a Civil Action in Federal District Court. Many lawyers who handle Social Security disability cases do not handle Federal District Court cases.
If you need to file a Civil Action in New Jersey, you need a New Jersey Social Security disability lawyer who knows the Federal District Court process. There are three divisions of the New Jersey Federal District Court: the Newark Division, the Trenton Division, and the Camden Division. Each of these divisions has their own judges. Each Court and each Judge applies the law differently.
Many people are surprised to learn that you don’t only need a New Jersey Social Security disability lawyer to file a claim in Federal District Court, you need a lawyer who has specific experience within the New Jersey District Court.
New Jersey Counties Served
We handle Social Security disability cases throughout New Jersey. Some of the common counties were serve are as follows:
- Atlantic County disability lawyer
- Bergen County disability lawyer
- Burlington County disability lawyer
- Camden County disability lawyer
- Cape May County disability lawyer
- Cumberland County disability lawyer
- Essex County disability lawyer
- Gloucester County disability lawyer
- Hudson County disability lawyer
- Hunterdon County disability lawyer
- Mercer County disability lawyer
- Middlesex County disability lawyer
- Monmouth County disability lawyer
- Morris County disability lawyer
- Ocean County disability lawyer
- Passaic County disability lawyer
- Salem County disability lawyer
- Somerset County disability lawyer
- Sussex County disability lawyer
- Union County disability lawyer
- Warren County disability lawyer
If your county is not listed, call us. While these are the counties we typically serve, we’ve handled cases across the state upon request.
Contact a New Jersey Social Security Disability Lawyer today
Our Social Security disability attorneys strive to make this process as easy as possible. Contact our law office today to schedule a free consultation! Call or reach out to our New Jersey law office.
The best part is that we can start the whole process over the phone or by video conference so you don’t even need to come into the office! We make everything as easy as possible for you from start to finish. Call us today.
