My cousin the lawyer said to handle my own disability hearing, big mistake

So my cousin, he's a real estate attorney, told me I didn't need a disability lawyer for my CA case. Said I could just read the SSA blue book and argue it myself. Took me 4 months to gather medical records and write it all up, and the judge shot me down in 20 minutes flat. Now I gotta start from square one with a lawyer who actually does this stuff. Anyone else get bad advice from someone who should've known better?

3 comments

3 Comments

bennett.mason1mo ago

That really stinks... family giving bad advice is the worst.

the_mila1mo ago

I mean idk, is it really that big of a deal? You gotta start over sure but at least now you know what the process is like and you can get a real lawyer this time. Not the end of the world.

the_simon22d ago

@the_mila's right about knowing the process now... that's actually huge. Half the battle in these cases is just figuring out which forms go where and what the judge actually wants to see. Save all your old paperwork too, even the messy stuff. It'll save you from repeating the same mistakes and you can hand it off to a better lawyer who actually knows immigration law, not just someone your cousin vouched for.