The application itself
Completed and filed by us. The forms ask plain questions that have technical consequences, and the wording of an answer matters more than people expect.
Social Security Disability
We File Your Disability Application, Start to Finish
Most of our clients come to us before anything has been filed. This is the work we do most, and it is the best time to ring.
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513-909-9999
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You do not have to work out how to do this.
Most people who call this office have not filed anything yet. They know they cannot work, they have heard the process is difficult, and they do not want to get it wrong. That is exactly the right moment to ring, and it is the work we do more of than anything else in this practice area.
We prepare and file the whole application. Not a review of something you drafted, and not advice about what to write. We complete it, we gather the medical evidence, we describe the work history in the terms the decision actually turns on, and we file it.
The medical question is this: are you unable to work due to your physical and/or mental conditions that are expected to prevent you from working for at least 12 months, if not permanently. If the answer is yes, there is a claim worth making, and the conversation costs nothing.
Who this page is for
You cannot work because of a physical or mental condition, and you have not applied yet, or you started an application and stopped.
- We complete the forms All of them, in the terms that matter.
- We gather the evidence Records requested and chased by us, not you.
- We work out which claim SSDI, SSI, or both at once.
- No fee unless we win Paid from back pay, never up front.
Before you file, two questions are worth answering
People ask us to file immediately. It is usually worth spending a short time on two things first, because both change what happens next.
Are you likely to qualify
We will tell you honestly what we think, including when the answer is that a claim is unlikely to succeed yet, or that something needs to change first. That is a more useful answer than a filed application that was never going to work, and it costs you nothing to hear it.
Which claim should be filed
SSDI is based on your own work record and the Social Security taxes you paid. SSI is needs-based and looks at income and resources instead. The medical test is the same for both, and a good many people qualify for both at once, which is called a concurrent claim.
Filing the wrong one, or filing only one when both were available, is one of the quieter ways a claim goes wrong. It is also entirely avoidable in a ten minute conversation.
What we do once you decide to go ahead
None of this requires you to chase anything.
The medical evidence
We identify every treating source, request the records, and follow them up. Incomplete records are the single most common reason a first application is refused.
The work history
What you did, how it was performed, and what it physically and mentally required. This is the part applicants most often understate, and it decides a great deal.
The follow-up
Forms arrive during the process with short deadlines attached. They come to us, they get answered, and nothing is missed because a letter sat unopened.
Filing well the first time is worth more than appealing well later
A first application that is properly built is faster, cheaper and less stressful than the same claim allowed two years later on appeal. The evidence is fresher, the treating relationships are current, and nobody has to explain a gap.
It also protects your filing date, which matters because back pay is calculated from it. Abandoning a claim and starting again later usually costs money that cannot be recovered.
And if the application is refused anyway, which happens even to well-prepared claims, the appeal is already half built. We keep the file, we know the evidence, and the deadline does not catch anybody by surprise.
- Your filing date is protected Back pay runs from it.
- The appeal is already prepared Same file, same team, no restart.
- Fresh evidence is better evidence Records and opinions are current.
Questions
Questions about applying
General information, not legal advice. Every case turns on its own facts. The only way to know where yours stands is to have someone look at it.
Should I apply myself and only call if I am denied?
You can, and many people do. The difficulty is that a first application shapes everything after it: the filing date, the medical evidence on file, and the description of your work history that later decision makers read. Fixing a weak application on appeal takes far longer than preparing a good one, and it costs you nothing extra to have it done properly the first time.
How long does a decision take?
The initial decision typically takes 7-9 months. This is an estimate based on recent information, and your decision may take slightly longer or come in a shorter timeframe. It varies by office and by how quickly medical records arrive, and we will give you a realistic expectation at the outset rather than a comfortable one.
What does it cost to have you file it?
Nothing up front. Social Security representation is paid from past-due benefits if the claim succeeds, under a fee agreement the agency has to approve. If nothing is awarded, there is no fee.
Can I work at all while I apply?
Some work is possible, but earnings above a monthly level are treated as substantial gainful activity and will generally defeat a claim regardless of the medical evidence. Because the figure changes each year and the rules around trial work are detailed, it is worth asking before you take anything on rather than after.
My condition is mental rather than physical.
The test is the same, and mental health conditions are a substantial part of this practice. What tends to differ is the evidence: treatment records, medication history and the observations of people who see you regularly carry a lot of weight, and consistency of treatment matters.
Do I have to come into an office?
No. Most of this is done by telephone, post and email, and a great deal of it we do without you present at all. Where you live in Ohio makes very little difference to a disability claim.
What we charge
Our fees are set by federal statute, are contingency only, and are the lesser of 25% not to exceed the statutory maximum of $9,200.
There is nothing to pay up front and nothing to pay if the claim does not succeed. The fee comes out of past-due benefits when they are awarded, and it has to be approved.
If your condition is not one of these
The conditions we have written about are the ones we are asked about most often. They are not the only ones that qualify, and the list is not a test you have to appear on.
A disability claim is decided on what your conditions do to your ability to work, not on the name of the diagnosis. Several problems that are each manageable on their own can add up to something that is not, and that combination is frequently the strongest part of a claim.
If what you have is not on this site, that tells you nothing about your claim. Tell us what you have been diagnosed with and what it stops you doing, and we will tell you honestly whether it is worth pursuing.
Other Social Security Disability pages
The rest of this practice area, in case your situation fits one of them better.
All Social Security Disability
SSDI denials, appeals and hearings.
SSDI vs SSI
Two different programs, two different sets of rules.
Disability Appeals
What to do when the claim comes back denied.
Disability Hearings
The hearing in front of the judge, and how we prepare you for it.
SSI Children's Cases
Benefits for a child whose disability affects how they function.
SSD Widow's Benefits
Drawing on a late spouse's record, from 60, or from 50 if disabled.
Back Injuries & Spine Conditions
Qualifying with a spine condition, where function decides it.
Neck Injuries & Conditions
Cervical claims turn on the hands and arms, not the back.
Cancer
Some diagnoses qualify outright. Others turn on what treatment left behind.
COPD & Respiratory Conditions
Breathing test values, and the day the test was taken.
Depression & Anxiety Disorders
Assessed on functioning across a working week, not on a diagnosis.
PTSD
Reactivity and avoidance, and why the workplace itself is the barrier.
Multiple Sclerosis
A fluctuating illness, assessed on a single day. Closing that gap.
Heart Disease
Measured exertion, and the difference between stable and employable.
Stroke
What is left when recovery stops, and when to make the claim.
Bipolar Disorder
The cycle decides it. Well periods are read as capacity.
Arthritis
Which joints. Ones you stand on and ones you work with.
Amputations
The prosthesis, not the amputation, is what gets argued about.
The three areas we handle
One incident can open more than one claim, and they are handled together here.
Client Reviews
What our clients say
I highly recommend for anyone dealing with the disability process to contact Casper, Casper & Casper. Steve Casper along with Ben Hite were VERY helpful in the entire process. If I a had any questions or concerns; they had the answers and reassured me everything would be okay. They worked diligently on my case for months and I was FINALLY approved. This team of attorneys WILL help fight for you as they have for me.
Kimberly Moore
Google Review
I had been denied two times for social security after life changing damages to my back, ankle and knee, had paid into social security all my life and I'm 60 years old now. Steven Casper was compassionate and thorough and walked me through the process without any money to pay him he was able to get my social security approved and every dime of back pay for those two years I had waited and has assured me that if anything comes up he's there for me.
Maggie Still
Google Review
After I spent two years in a frustrating battle with the SSA, I finally contacted Casper, Casper, & Casper, and Robin took my disability case. In about six months, Robin had won my case, along with back pay. The whole process of working with this firm was pleasant and painless. The staff was quick to respond to my many questions and also to update my changing medical information.
Kevin Weinand
Google Review
If you have been denied disability benefits, I would DEFINITELY RECOMMEND this lawyers office!! Robin Partin and associates worked diligently on my case and fought for me! They were my voice and I won! 10/10
Janna Anderson
Google Review
I really cannot say enough about my attorney Steven Casper and his work ethic and professionalism. Also his legal assistant Ben, these two did a lot of prep work and fielding my many emails and answering my questions. Steven Casper prepped me personally for my appeal and court with an administrative law judge. This process is very slow dealing with Social Security but he kept me informed every step of the way with great detail and it played out exactly as he had described.
Michael Seagraves
Google Review
I can't thank Casper, Casper and Casper enough for what they did for me. From start to finish it took less than a year for them to help me get disability benefits. They did almost all of the groundwork and made it as painless for me as possible. I would highly recommend them to anyone.
Chester Thomas
Google Review
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