What should you be expecting at your Social Security disability hearing? Make sure to arrive at your hearing at least a half an hour early. Whatever you do, definitely do not be late. You should wear whatever makes you comfortable, within reason. You do not need to dress in a way you would to an interview. Do not talk about your case once you arrive, maintain a professional demeanor. The hearing will be held in a small conference room, there is usually a desk for the judge that sits on a small riser. You will be seated alongside your attorney and you are able to bring observers into the hearing room, if you feel the need for it. Otherwise, the hearing is private. They are much less formal than court hearings, however you must always maintain professionalism. At the end of the hearing, some judges will ask you if you have anything more to say. It’s best if you don’t try to argue your case at this point—let your lawyer do that.

1. WHA
T
T
O
EPC
X ET
A Y R
T OU
S I LS C R T
OC A E U IY
D S B LT HE R NG
IA IIY A I
© J me P bi ig
a s u l hn
s

2. WH N
E
T
O
A RV
R IE
U ls y u atre ak y ut b a te
nes o r t n y ss o o e th
o
h aigof ea aseic i , rv fr
er
n fc t p c it
i
f me ar e o
i
y u h aiga o t h la h u e r. o
or er
n b u a af n o r al Y u
y
d nt e dt c mea y al rorv w
o ’n e o o
n e re t e i
i
e
y u fe e e ia a tmae p o ec l
o ri , v n f n uo td h n al
l
f m teh aigof eo y u Noi o
r h er
o
n fc r o r te f
i
c
H aiga v e y ut. o ra y r a
er
n d i s o o Y u lw e h s
s
ara y e iw dy u h aigehbti .
l d rv e o r e r
e
e
n x iife
l
Ds bly e r g u u l s ro t —s
i it h ai s s al t t n i
a i
n
y a
me o
w ae e y ud , o ’b lt.
h tv r o o d nt e ae

3. WH T
A
T
O
WE R
A
V
S
Alt f e peakw eh rh y h uddes
o o p o l s h te te so l rs
u . o d n t e dt des p Y ud
p Y u o o n e o rs u . o o
n t e dt w a tesmec te ta y u
o n e o e rh a
l h sh t o
o
w udw a t c uc o ajbitriw Y u
o l e ro h rh r o nev . o
e
ma w a w aee ma e y uc mfr be
y e r h tvr k s o o ot l
a
( i i rao )
wt n e sn.
h

4. D
ON’
T
TL
AK
A OU
B T
Y R
OU
CS
AE
ONC
E
Y
OU
A RV
R IE
R me e, o il e ui h aig ae
e mb rS c S c ry e r s r
a
t
n
sr u b s es D nt k jk s r
ei s u i s. o ’ma e o e o
o
n
tl a o t o r a ei tew in ro
ak b u y u c s n h at g o m,
i
h l a, lv tr r n w eees w eea
al yee ao o a y h r l h r
w
e
S c l e ui e ly ema o eh a a d
o i S c ry mpo e
a
t
y v re r n
g th w o gi rsina o t o .
e te rn mpes
o b u yu

5. TE
H
HAI
E RNG
R
OOM
Y u h aigwlb h l i as l
or er
n i e ed n mal
l
c nee c ro Ima h v afw ofil
o frn e o m.t y a e e fc
ia
t p ig sc a tesa o teS c l
r pn s u h s h e l fh o i
a
a
S c ry d ns aino a A r a f g
eui A miirt
t
t o r n mei n l .
c
a
H aigro aeaw y e up e wt a
e r o ms r la s q ip d i
n
h
c nee c tbe T eeas ma b as l
o frn e a l. h r l
o y e mal
tbefrh jd es sia tU u l tee
a l o te u g ’ as tn. sal h r
s
y
iad s frh jd eta ss nas l
s ek o te u g h t i o
t
mal
r e ta isg t a o etelvl fh
i rh ts l hl b v h ee o te
s
i y
c nee c tbew eey uwls.
o frn e a l h r o i i
lt

6. WH
O
WI
L
L
B T EE
EHR
Y uw lb sae a tec nee c
o i e e td th o frn e
l
tbeao gw t y u atre. n e
a l ln i o r t n yU d r
h
o
s mec c ms n e tejd ema c la
o
i u t csh u g
r
a
y al
v c t n l i es r d c rotsf
o ai a w t s o a o t t ety
o
n
o
i.
Is , eo s ew lb sae a te
f o h r h i e e td th
l
c nee c tbe to
o frn e a l,o .
As sae a tec nee c tbe(r
l e td th o frn e a l o
o
p ra s t s ltben x t te
eh p a a mala l e to h
c nee c tbe w lb tejd es
o frn e a l) i e h u g ’
l
a s tn w oo eae ac mp trw i
sia t h p rts o ue, hc
s
h
iu e t ma eaC -OM ta w l
s sd o k
DR
ht i
l
c nanterc rigo teh aig
o ti h e odn fh e r .
n
Y uaealw dt bigo sresno
o r l e o r
o
n b ev r it
teh aigro S mejd e alw
h er
n o m. o
ugs l
o
w tess ob pee to tee te
i se t e rsn frh ni
n
r
h aig Otes k w tess atn
e r . h r ma e i se w ii
n
n
tew in ro u t iit frh i
h at g o m ni ts i o ter
i
l
me
tsmo yB th h aigipi t.
et n. u te e r s r ae
i
n
v
A y n pee t te ta tejd e te
n o e rsn oh rh n h u g ,h
jd es tfa dw tess aldb te
u g ’ s f n i se c l
a
n
e yh
jd emu t a ey u p r sin
ug
s h v o r emi o .
s

7. TE
H
A MI S R T E
D NIT A I
V
LW JD
A U GE
T ep ro w opeie i
h es n h rs sn
d
aS c l e ui h aigi
o i S c ry e r s
a
t
n
a a miirt elw jd e
n d ns ai a u g
t v
(L)T eA Js nie t
A J h L ie tld o
.
t
tes mers e th t o
h a
ep c ta y u
w udp y oac utu g .
ol a t
o rjd e
T ejd eso it i u
h u g ’jb so s e
s
a id p n e t eio
n n e e d n d c in
s
ta in tnle cdb te
h ts o if n e y h
u
e re d na o y u c i
al r e il f o r l m.
i
a
I fc moeta h lo
n at r h n af f
,
jd e’ eio s ain ie
u g sd c in n t wd
s
o
fv rh c i n. h
a o te l ma tT e
a
h aiggvs o teb s
er
n i y u h et
e
o d o wn iga a y tp
d s f inn t n s
e
i tee teS c l eui
n h ni o i S c ry
r
a
t
a p as ytm.
p e lss
e

8. HAI
E RNGS
A EI OR L
R NF MA
A
ND “
NONA V R A IL
D E S RA”
S c l e ui h aig ae
o i S c ry e r s r
a
t
n
mu hls fr lh nc ut
c es oma ta o r
h aig . h S c l e ui
e r s T e o i S c ry
n
a
t
A miirt nrc g i s h t
d ns ai e o nz ta
t o
e
iy uc nrlx y uw lb te
f o a ea , o i e h
l
b s w tes o y usl T e
et i s fr o ref h
n
.
h aigi“ o -d es r l
e r s n na v rai .
n
a”
I oh r od ,h r in
n te w rs tee s o
lw e o teoh r iet
a y r n h te s o
d
co se a n y u
rs-x mie o .
D si teifr l ,h r ae
ept h nomai tee r
e
t
y
acu l o rl ta mut e
o pe fue h t sb
s
fl w d
ol e :
o
F s y ua dal i ess i
i t o n lwt se wl
r,
n
l
tsf u d r ah
ety n e o t.
i
e o d o l o e es n s
S c n , ny n p ro i
alw dt tsf a at .
l e o ety t i
o
i
me
Wh ny uaetsfigd nt
e o r ety
i n o’
a ka y n es i tero
s no e l n h o m
e
t h l y ua s e q et n .
o ep o n w r u so s
i
Y u w tess rr n s
o r i se o fe d
n
i
s o l n t hmei t h l
h ud o c i n o ep
y utsf
o ety
i.

9. T EOR E
H
DR
OFE E S
V NT
Ma y u g s e i ds bly e r g
n jd e b gn i it h ai s
a i
n
b rc igte“a ehs r” f o r
y e in h c s ioy o y u
t
t
ds bly li a ds t gtei u s o
i it c m n t i h s e t
a i a
an
s
b dc e.
e ei d
d
h ug
y u so o i t h n
i
r.
T ejd ema q et ny ufs T e
tejd ewlgv y u lw e ac a c
h u g i i o ra yr h n e
l e
t aky usmeq et n. o jd e,
o s o o
u so s S me u g s
i
h w vrep c lw es oh n l mot
o ee, x eta yr t a de s
o teq et nn .
fh u so ig
i
Wh ny ur d n tsf n , o ra yr
e o ’ o e ety g y u lw e
e
ii
wlb alw dt q et na y i ess
i e l e o u so n wt se
l
o
i
n
y uv bo g toteh aig Iiral
o ’ ru h t h e r .ts e l
e
n
y
i otn fr o r aet biga lat
mp r to y u c s o r
a
n te s
o ewtes otsf i sp ot f h t
n i s t ety n u p ro w a
n
i
y usyt gv tejd ed ti a o t
o a,o i h u g eal b u
e
s
y u i ar ns n h w te afc
o rmp i
me t a d o h y f t
e
e
f
p i
y u o t ofr df rn p r et eo
o , ro f a iee t es cv n
y u me i l rbe .
o r dc po lms
a
Atr o r i es tsmo ya y x et
f y u wt s’ et n, n ep r
e
n s i
wtess aldb tejd ewltsf
i se c l
n
e y h u g i ety
l i.
Y u lw e wlte h v ac a c t
o ra yr i h n a e h n e o
l
cosea n a y x et i ess o
rs-x mie n ep rwt se t
n
ma esr teeialgt t b s fr
k ue h r s e imae ai o
i
s
teret n.
h itsmo y
i

10. A TE
TH
C
ONC U I
L SON
OFT E
H
HAI
E RNG
A tee do teh aig smejd e
th n fh e r , o
n
ugs
wlaky uiy uh v a y igmoe
i s o f o ae nt n
l
h
r
t syIs etf o d ntr t ag e
o a.t b s iy u o ’t o ru
’
y
y u c s a tip it e y u lw e
o r ae ths on—lt o ra y r
d ta. s jd e wlgv alw e
o h tMotu g s i i
l e a yr
teo p r nt t ma eac s g
h p ot i o k
u y
li
on
ag me t i e a tee do te
ru n et r th n fh
h
t
t
h aigo t b sb t di w in .
er
n ro e u mie n rig
Motu g s o ’tly uiy uv
sjd e w ntelo f o ’
e
w n ato g afw wl Afw jd e
o,l uh e i
h
l e ugs
.
i u w a ic l da“ e c d c in”
s e h ts al
s
e
b n h eio ,
s
ta i ad c ins tdr h a te
h ts eio t e i t th
,
s
a
g
h aig Ee itejd ei u s
e r . vn fh u g s e a
n
s
b n hd c in tejd eslmut
e c eio ,h u g tl s
s
i
i u asot rtnd c in w i
s e h rw ie eio , hc
s
t
s
h
wlb maldt y uwt ac p t
i e i oo i
l
e
h o yo
y u lw e. h w n eflhn a o t
o ra yrT e o d r tig b u
u
tew ie p ro teb n hd c in
h rtn at fh e c eio
t
s
ita ic me o lafw d y atr
sh tt o s ny e a s f
e
teh aig Wh ntejd ei u s
h er . e h ug s e a
n
s
rg lr eio ,o t sta e
e ua d c in smei itk s
s
me
q i aw i frh d c int c me
ut
e hl o te eio o o
e
s
ot
u.
Iy uaetikn a o t p l n fr
f o r hn ig b u a py g o
i
ds bly e ei, rf o r li h s
i it b n fs o iy u c m a
a i
t
a
b e d ne , o tc fr ep
e n e id c na to h l.