Representation at ALJ Disability Hearings

When the System Feels Like It Isn’t Listening

By the time your case reaches the ALJ hearing level, you have usually already done months of forms, phone calls, record requests, and waiting. Many people are also trying to manage serious symptoms while the Social Security Administration asks for more documentation, more detail, and more patience.

This is the point where the process can feel personal. Letters arrive with strict instructions. The hearing office expects updated contact information. Evidence has a submission deadline. The hearing format can change depending on the notice you receive and what you accept or object to. 

DWB LAW, LLC is a Miami-based practice focused on Social Security disability claims and appeals for disabled workers in South Florida. You will work with the firm as your case moves through hearing preparation, the hearing itself, and the written decision that follows. 

What an ALJ Hearing Is and What Is Actually Decided There

An ALJ hearing is your opportunity to have a judge review your claim and issue a written decision based on the evidence in your file and testimony at the hearing. Social Security describes the hearing as informal, recorded, and conducted under oath or affirmation, with the judge explaining the issues and asking questions. In many disability hearings, the ALJ may also call a medical expert or vocational expert to testify, and you (and your representative, if you have one) may question witnesses. 

That sounds straightforward until you are living it. In real life, the hearing is the moment where your medical records, work history, daily limitations, and credibility all have to line up with Social Security’s rules.

The Hearing-Level Bureaucracy—and Where People Get Stuck

• Multiple notices, multiple deadlines

Social Security generally sends a Notice of Hearing well in advance, and it also sends a “Notice of Ways to Attend a Hearing,” which explains how you may appear and what forms you may need to return. Some hearing notices are produced and mailed through a central print process—read each new notice carefully and track any response deadlines.

• The five-business-day evidence rule

For disability hearings, you must submit—or inform SSA about—written evidence no later than five business days before the hearing date.

The underlying regulations are in 20 C.F.R. § 404.935 (SSDI) and 20 C.F.R. § 416.1435 (SSI), including specific exceptions that may apply in limited situations.

• You have to keep your contact information current

Social Security says hearing office staff communicate by mail and may also call you, and if you are scheduled for an online video, they may use email to send instructions. They also emphasize reporting changes in phone, mailing address, and email while the claim is pending. 

• Your chosen hearing format can become its own paperwork issue

Social Security’s current framework includes four standard modes of appearance: audio, agency video, online video, or in person.

Policies also explain how and when to object or agree after you receive the Notice of Ways to Attend a Hearing, including response deadlines. If you do not want audio or agency video, return form HA-55 within 30 days of the notice to object.

How DWB LAW, LLC Supports You Before the ALJ Hearing

• Case file review and case theory

Before the hearing, your representative can help you understand what is already in the record, what is missing, and what needs to be clarified in plain language. Social Security states that you and your representative may look at the evidence in your case file and submit new evidence. 

• Evidence and record development, with the five-business-day rule in mind

A strong hearing record usually requires coordination with medical providers, hospitals, imaging centers, and sometimes employers. The hearing level makes timing matter because evidence is subject to the five-business-day requirement.

• Hearing preparation that matches the way ALJs actually question people

The hearing is recorded, the judge may question you and witnesses, and you may be asked about symptoms, limitations, work history, and your day-to-day functioning. DWB Law helps you prepare for that structure so you are not walking into a high-stakes conversation cold.

• Representation during the hearing, including witness questioning

Social Security states that you and your representative may question witnesses at the hearing. If a medical expert or vocational expert testifies, that is often where focused questioning can clarify the record. 

• Support after the hearing, through the written decision

After the hearing, the ALJ issues a written decision based on all evidence, and the hearing office mails the decision to you and your representative. 

Hearing Formats and What They Mean for You

Social Security uses a Notice of Ways to Attend a Hearing to explain appearance options and related forms.

• Audio hearings

Audio hearings are a standard option under Social Security’s current manner of appearance framework. 

• Agency video hearings

Agency video is also part of the standard framework, and policies describe how objections are handled under the notice process. 

• Online video hearings

Online video hearings typically require agreement. Social Security provides guidance for online video hearings and representative preparation, including the use of Microsoft Teams and reminders about the official recording and rules around recording or screenshots. SSA uses the HA-56 Agreement to Appearing by Online Video; SSA will not schedule or proceed by online video without your agreement.

• In-person hearings

In-person appearance remains one of the standard manners of appearance in the current system.

Built for People Who Have Carried Heavy Work for Years

If you are a police officer, firefighter, nurse, military service member, public servant, or someone who has done physically or mentally demanding work for decades, disability isn’t just a medical issue—it’s an identity shift and a paperwork battle.

Long careers often come with:

• Orthopedic wear and tear, chronic pain, or limited mobility that builds over years of duty.
• Cumulative exposure and repeated injuries.
• Mental health conditions that may be harder to explain on a form than in real life.
• Work histories with irregular schedules, overtime, and high-responsibility roles that do not translate neatly into checkboxes.

The hearing level is where your work history and functional limits need to be explained in a way that fits Social Security’s process, with medical support and consistent documentation. The goal is clarity: what you can do, what you cannot do, and why the record supports that. 

DWB LAW, LLC represents disabled workers with meaningful work histories and handles disability hearings and appeals from its Miami office.

What You Can Do Right Now to Reduce Stress Before the Hearing

A practical checklist

• Keep every Social Security notice in one folder (paper or digital).
• Record your current mailing address, phone, and email—and report changes promptly.
• List every medical provider you’ve seen, with dates and locations.
• Request records early—the five-business-day evidence rule can become a problem fast.
• Track medications, side effects, and how symptoms affect daily tasks.
• Test your device and connection ahead of time for online video hearings.

If you miss your hearing date

Social Security tells claimants who miss a hearing to call the hearing office right away using the number on the Notice of Hearing. 

Why People Hire Counsel for the Hearing Level

You are not required to have a representative, but Social Security recommends appointing one as early as possible so there is time to review the file and prepare for the hearing. 

At this stage, representation often focuses on:

• Turning a stack of medical records into a clear timeline
• Meeting evidence rules and submission deadlines 
• Preparing you for the judge’s questions and any expert testimony 
• Handling procedural issues tied to hearing format, attendance, and notices 

Service Areas

DWB LAW, LLC is based in Miami and serves clients across Miami-Dade County and Monroe County. We also assist clients nationwide in Social Security disability matters, including cases scheduled for audio, agency video, or online video hearings when available under SSA procedures and where representation is permitted. Because Social Security is a federal program, representation in many matters can be provided beyond Florida, subject to SSA procedures and permissions.

Related Services

We also offer the following services:

• Social Security Disability Insurance Representation

• Initial Disability Applications

• Reconsideration Appeals

• Vocational and Functional Capacity Analysis

• Disability Case Strategy and Benefit Eligibility Counseling

• Representation for Severe or Complex Medical Conditions