Fees

The fee

The fee is a share of your past‑due benefits only — the back payment for the months you were owed while the claim was pending. It does not come out of your ongoing monthly benefits.

It is 25% of that back payment, or a different amount if Social Security approves one. Either way, Social Security reviews and approves the fee.

You do not write a check for the fee. Social Security should withhold it from your past‑due benefits and pay it directly.

Medical record costs

A disability case runs on medical records, and providers charge for copies. Those record costs are separate from the fee.

I usually pay them myself as the case goes along. If the claim succeeds, I may ask you to pay me back for what I spent. If it does not, I do not ask you to pay those costs back. Record costs are usually modest, and there is no separate charge for the time spent gathering them — that work is part of the fee.

What there is no charge for

The first conversation and case review. Phone calls and updates while the case is open. Preparing the case, the hearing, and an appeal are all covered by the fee — billed only if the claim succeeds.