Janice Brownson, Atty

If you have not already filed a claim for benefits, I recommend that you contact my office for a FREE consultation at 888-888-1266 before you apply for benefits. You may also contact the Social Security Administration directly by telephone and indicate that you would like to schedule an appointment to file a claim for SSD/SSI benefits, or you may visit the local SSA office in your area and discuss your matter directly with a caseworker. You may also go to SSA.gov and file your disability application. If you are unable to call or visit your local SSA office or do not have access to a computer, you could write a letter to the Social Security Administration telling them that you would like to file a claim for disability benefits and request that they contact you to do so. Once my office has been able to evaluate your matter, we may be able to assist you by filing the claim on your behalf and following the processing of your claim with SSA.

You are not required to hire an attorney to apply for Social Security disability benefits. Whether a claim has already been filed or if your claim has been denied, my office may be able to offer assistance in evaluating your case, determining if my staff can be of assistance to you, and then recommending how to proceed with your claim. I strongly recommend that you obtain a legal consultation as early as possible in the process. If you have been denied SSD/SSI benefits, it is important that you do not miss your appeal deadline and that you make sure that your appeal is filed within 60 days of the date you are denied, whether an attorney is involved in your case or not. The earlier I become involved in your case, the more assistance I can lend to you to make sure that you are guided properly in developing the medical information that will be necessary in your matter. If necessary, I can assist you in obtaining medical treatment and/or examinations that will help clarify your physical and mental conditions.

My office handles Social Security disability matters on a contingency basis, which means that we are only paid attorney fees if we are successful in having benefits granted to you. The federal rules and regulations provide that the maximum fee that can be paid is 25% of the past-due benefits, up to a maximum of $6,000.00, which amount is adjusted periodically for inflation. What this means is that should benefits be granted to you, the Social Security Administration will calculate the attorney's fees, and they will pay the attorney fee directly in accordance with the retainer agreement that will be entered into when our services are contracted for. Any out-of-pocket costs are the responsibility of the client without regard to the outcome of the case, and this is in accordance with the law of the State of Michigan. and these costs ordinarily do not exceed $200–$300 unless a very substantial number of records have to be obtained. Our office attempts to get free medical records wherever appropriate, and at the beginning of our case, we ask that you supply us with any Medicaid green card or supplemental medical card that you have that would assist us in obtaining your records at no cost or at a lower cost, if at all possible.

If you have not filed a Social Security claim previously, the claim is referred to the Disability Determination Service. They will be informed by one of their trained evaluation specialists or medical doctors. If, on the other hand, your claim has already been denied, an appeal has to be made to the Office of Disability Adjudication and Review by filing a request for a hearing (HA-501) at your local Social Security District Office. Eventually, an administrative law judge will hold a disability hearing where testimony will be taken about all of your disabilities. We make sure the client is prepared for that hearing and is aware of what questions are anticipated to be asked and how their participation in that hearing should take place to best benefit their being granted Social Security Disability benefits. If this is your initial claim, it could take three or four months for a decision to be made in your particular case. If this is an appeal before the Office of Disability Adjudication and Review for an administrative hearing before an administrative law judge, the hearing could take anywhere from 12 to 18 months under the current backlog of cases.

If your claim is for SSI (Supplemental Security Income), this program is designed for indigent individuals, and the maximum benefit that can be received on a monthly basis is $674.00 as of 2010, and it is increased yearly for inflation. In addition to the monetary benefits, recipients of at least $1.00 of SSI benefits are automatically entitled to Medicaid benefits, and in many cases, medical coverage is extremely important for individuals with disabilities so they can obtain ongoing treatment for their medical and mental health problems. If the claim is for Social Security disability benefits, or what is often commonly referred to as Title II benefits, the amount that is received is dependent upon the amount earned over the person's lifetime for which Social Security premiums have been paid to the federal government. Generally, these benefits range anywhere from $600.00 to $1900.00 per month, plus the individual may be entitled to Medicare benefits after 29 months of eligibility for disability benefits. The Medicare benefits must be paid for, and in 2010, the premium was $110.00 per month and increased annually for inflation. Again, similar to the SSI program, the medical benefits are often extremely important in obtaining ongoing medical treatment for disabling problems, and in some cases, the medical coverage is more important than the monthly benefit that the person receives. It is possible for a person who worked over many years, but at a low wage rate, to receive possibly $500.00 in Social Security Disability benefits and $174.00 in SSI benefits to bring the person up to the maximum under the SSI program. In addition, this would then qualify an individual for both Medicare coverage and Medicaid through the State of Michigan, when appropriate.

Janice Brownson, Atty specializes in social security disability representation in West Branch, MI.

The office is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM, and Friday from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM. It is closed on Saturdays and Sundays.

You can call the main phone number at +1 989-345-0582 or visit the website at https://www.jbrownsonlaw.com/ for more information and to schedule a consultation.

You are not required to hire an attorney but obtaining legal consultation early in the process is strongly recommended, especially if your claim has been denied or you need to appeal.

Attorney fees are handled on a contingency basis, with fees paid only if benefits are granted. The maximum fee is 25% of past-due benefits up to $6,000, paid directly by the Social Security Administration.

The office is located at 303 E. Houghton Avenue, West Branch, MI, 48661, USA.

Nearby health and medical services include Michigan Premiere Home Care, Serenity Home Health Care, West Branch Regional Medical Center, and MyMichigan Urgent Care West Branch, which might be useful for clients needing medical documentation or treatment related to disability claims.

Yes, nearby beauty salons include Mary's Beauty Salon, Ken's Barber Shop, Stylistics Hair Design & Tanning, Stylistic Hair Design, The Bees Knees Salon and Gifts, and Your Beauty Call, which clients might visit before or after appointments.

H&R Block, a tax and financial service provider, and Stephen W Kimball PC, a chiropractor and doctor, are nearby options that could complement legal and medical needs of clients.

Janice Brownson is affiliated with the Michigan State Bar Association and the National Organization of Social Security Claimants' Representatives (NOSSCR).