kdm's blog

As a Social Security disability attorney or representative you know that the rates for awarding benefits vary greatly depending on the Hearing Office. Therefore it is extremely helpful to know where each stands but can be difficult to find from the data that the SSA provides. Therefore, we have put together an updated list of approval rates by hearing office for 2021. These approval rates are based off of decisions made from September 26, 2020 through April 30, 2021.

2020 was a difficult year for everyone and there is no doubt that as a Social Security Disability attorney you are facing the effects of the pandemic on your business. However, there is a glimmer of hope to come out of all of the chaos -- the average processing time for a Social Security disability claim decreased 25% (502 days to 390 days) from 2019 to 2020. While there were less dispositions overall, it seems that the switch from in-person to completely virtual hearings helped to speed up the process for many hearing offices across the country.*

As an attorney, it is likely that you rely heavily on your website for attracting new clients. Because it is such an important part of your business, you should be doing everything you can to increase the conversion rate on your firm’s site. The conversion rate is the percentage of users that contact you (either by filling out the contact form or calling) as a direct result of visiting your site. The higher your conversion rate, the more clients you will have!

As a Social Security disability attorney or representative, you understand the importance of keeping track of the approval ratings for the different Office of Hearing Operations (OHOs) across the country. However, it can be difficult and time consuming to sort through the data to get to these numbers. Therefore, we have put together a list using the most recent data available as of July 2020. This includes decisions made between September 28, 2019 and May 29, 2020.*

As an attorney you realize the important role that your website plays in getting you new clients. For this reason, you have likely invested quite a bit of time and capital into creating an informative, easy-to-navigate, and modern site. What if I told you that it could be even better and you could get more clients from it than you currently are? By testing different changes you can increase your website's conversions and ROI. Here is how you can get started with optimizing your conversion rate:

As an attorney, it is important to think of your website as a lead generation tool. While it should provide helpful information about your firm and the services you offer, it should also have a contact form for potential clients to get in touch.

Meeting clients in person is a great way to connect and better understand their needs, which will help you to provide the best representation possible. While exchanging phone calls and emails is efficient, actually getting to know someone face to face can help deepen your professional relationship. It will also help your client feel more comfortable and confident in your representation. Therefore, if your client ever needs an attorney again in the future, or has a friend or family member looking for help, you will likely be the first choice.

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.