Lansing Social Security Lawyers

To receive Social Security benefits, you must have a physical or a psychological problem that prevents you from working on a regular basis. Even if you are able to work part-time, you may be eligible for benefits. Bahrie Law has over 45 years of expertise winning Social Security cases for our clients. The advantage to using our firm is that we know the intricacies of the Social Security system and federal court appeals. We will provide you with the necessary steps required to provide evidence of your health problem. This process includes sending clients to experts, obtaining medical records, obtaining Social Security documents and preparing you and your witness for trial.

We are very experienced in Social Security Disability law. We represent approximately 10 claimants per month at hearings in front of Social Security Administrative Law Judges. We attend hearings in  Lansing, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Detroit and Mt. Pleasant.  We are usually successful at obtaining benefits at or before the first hearing before the Judge; however, in the event we are unsuccessful, we have fought many appeals through the Appeals Council and Federal Court in the Eastern and Western District Courts of Michigan, and have been successful in overturning unfavorable decisions by the Administrative Law Judge.

In order to win, we must prove you have a medically determinable impairment or illness that is documented by your doctor, preferably with objective medical evidence such as an MRI. Specialists are required in cardiology, pulmonology, orthopedics, auto immune disease, neurology and psychiatry. Without this documentation you will be denied. Your condition must last for more than one year or be expected to last longer than one year, if you can meet the disability requirements. Not only do you have to prove that you are disabled from work, but you must also meet certain non-medical requirements.

There are two types of Social Security disability claims: Retirement Survivors Disability Insurance (RSDI) may be available if you have worked five out of the last ten years. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) may be available if you have never worked; such as a person under the age of eighteen, or someone who has a long work history, but it has been more than 5 years since they last worked.

RSDI is available without regard to your assets. The monthly benefit is calculated based upon your income record and pays up to $2,639 per month as of December 2016. However, we must prove your disability occurred before your Last Date of Insured Status, which is usually five years after you were last employed fulltime. Otherwise, you will not be eligible to collect on your earnings, but widow’s benefits or SSI maybe available. 

SSI  has strict asset limitations of no more than $2,000 for a single person and $3,000, if married. Spouses income counts against you and that may disqualify you depending on the amount of income from your spouse. SSI only pays around $750 per month.

We always look to see if there is some work within your limitations to see if we can help you find employment that you may be capable of performing. Michigan Rehabilitation Services (MRS)is an excellent state program to help people find accommodated work with kind employers. Most importantly, if you are able to work even part-time it gives you an opportunity to see what you can do. 

Finally, we take these cases on a contingency bases, meaning we do not get paid unless we win. The attorney fee is 25% of past due benefits up to a maximum fee of $6,000. Our reputation is based upon more than 40 years of winning for our clients. In some case we have had as many as four hearings before winning in Federal Court. We are poor losers. If the law and facts are on our side, we will fight for you.