With over 650,000 decisions made in Social Security disability cases each year, the SSA has two main offices, the Office of Hearings Operations (OHO) and the Office of Analytics, Review, and Oversight (OARO), that oversee the hearing, decision, and appeal processes in more than 160 local offices.* There are over 1,500 administrative law judges (ALJs) who preside over the hearings and give either a denial, a fully favorable or partially favorable decision.
When new clients sign up to work with your firm, it is important to let them know right away that they are valued. Thanking new clients for choosing your firm and sending them some useful resources is a great place to start. However, an email or letter is not always sufficient and instead, you may want to consider sending out a thoughtfully crafted welcome packet.
The holiday season is upon us and as an attorney, there is no better time to show your clients how much you care. Letting them know that you are thinking of them – even just by sending handwritten note – can go a long way. Without loyal clients, it would be very difficult to have a successful law practice, so it is certainly worth your time to wish them well around the holidays.
We are very excited about our recent release of a new version of eLuminate – our proprietary lead and case management software! While changes were made to the overall look and speed of the software to enhance user experience, many of the functionalities our users have grown accustomed to remain the same. With that said, the addition of a few new features can help save you even more time following up with leads and streamline your practice. Here are some tips for getting the most out of eLuminate:
If your law firm is still not on Facebook, it may be time to reconsider and step into 2018. With over 2.2 billion monthly users worldwide, Facebook is a free marketing source you should take advantage of. You’re likely familiar with Facebook already; however, the rules of engagement for a business – specifically a law firm – are different. Here are some dos and don’ts to consider when running your firm’s Facebook page:
During the holiday season, snow is a welcome accompaniment to parties, presents, ice-skating and hot cocoa drinking. However, after the New Year, snowstorms become more of a hassle for attorneys as your workload picks up and you can no longer afford to let the snow affect your productivity. Here are some ways to ensure that no matter the weather, you can always finish the workday feeling accomplished.
In this day and age, there is no reason to not have a modern, well designed, aesthetically pleasing and functional website for your law firm. It can attract prospective clients and give you an edge over the competition if other firms’ sites are lacking. Your website is one of the most important marketing platforms that you have available to you—be sure not to waste it with a poorly designed site.
As a Social Security disability attorney or advocate, your main priority is to help your clients win the benefits that they deserve. However, the bottom line is that your Social Security disability practice is a business and the key to being successful is to efficiently manage your cash flow. You must ensure that you have a steady stream of income coming in, but this can be especially tricky since it can take months or even years to see a return on disability cases. Therefore, it is important to know exactly how much money you could expect to receive at each level of the application process so that you can manage your business accordingly.
As a Social Security disability attorney, you know that you must put the needs of your clients first to be successful, develop lasting relationships, and win cases. This could mean that you make home visits to meet with them or spend extra time going through paperwork to ensure that they understand what they are signing. However, you can let prospective clients know that you are willing to accommodate their needs before even meeting them by designing your website for accessibility.
Beginning a lead campaign for your law firm can be an effective way to increase your caseload and see an attractive return on your marketing investment. If successful, it can result in a number of new clients and a competitive cost per case. In order for the venture to be profitable for you and your firm, it is important to understand how to make the most of your lead campaign.
