Hi! My name is Tatiana Froes. I am a Disability Attorney practicing in Arizona and author of the book Real Tactics For Filing Your Disability Claim (click on the link to purchase your copy) I am also a DIYer, bird rescuer, cat lover, pilot and the owner of another blog called amigas4all.com where I show people how to redo things around the house, decorating on a budget and living sane. I like helping to contribute to improving the lives of those who need help: human, furry or feathered!

My experience talking to potential clients and clients tells me that despite easy access to the internet disability claimants still don’t understand the process of applying for disability. There is simply no site out there giving claimants a sequence of events or a BIG PICTURE with enough details, so they can understand where they are in the timeline of their claim.

Of course, a lot of those sites are from attorneys selling “their fish”. There is absolutely nothing wrong about that. I sell my fish too on the law firm site but the goal here is not to sell my attorney services. Yes, I am offering ebooks and tutorials for those who wish to learn even more. But because I am not retaining clients here I have the freedom to offer information that most attorneys don’t want to share until they are hired and that information is FREE!!

I also want to address issues that, as an attorney, I see every day: Having to reject cases because claimants are not ready. I hate saying no to claimants. They already feel stressed out about their condition and when they are trying to get the help they hear: “NO, I’m sorry I can’t help you”.

I want you to be ready! Ready to be accepted by an attorney. Ready to be approved for disability. So let’s get READY!!

You are probably wondering, isn’t the purpose of hiring an attorney to get the claim ready to file? Yes and no.

An attorney CAN do a lot of things to make your case better.  There are certain skills that a good majority of claimants won’t have simply because they never represented anyone before and never experienced years going to court and participating in hearings. That’s why you want an attorney.

But, there are things that an attorney is not able to do; an attorney can’t take you to the doctor, recommend treatment for a particular condition, make sure that you are complying with treatment, taking your meds, etc.

However, these things are VERY IMPORTANT to make a case viable and it is your responsibility to do those things.

So when prospective clients call me and tell me that despite their diagnosis they are not seeing doctors, I just cry inside! How do you know, without seeing a doctor, if your condition can be controlled or improved? Is there surgery that can solve the problem? Is there a medication out there that can cure you or at least stabilize your symptoms? HOW DO YOU KNOW if you are not seeing a doctor? And even if you are: Are you seeing the right type of doctor?

These and more issues will prevent claimants from getting an attorney to accept their case or even win their disability. I don’t want you to go through that.

And when you do hire an attorney I want you to keep in mind that this will be a TEAM EFFORT! You do your part (going to doctors, treating, etc) and the attorney will work his magic making the case better.

I want you to know everything you need to know so that your share of the team effort is ready to go and it should be smoother sailing from there.

This process is stressful as it is. Most claimants are already sick, and stressing over money can make people even sicker.

While I may not solve your money problems any time soon, I hope that at least I can clarify a few things so the process is less of a mystery. With knowledge comes the assurance that despite a long and frustrating wait at least claimants will be able to know what to expect.

Finally, it is important to understand that money will not cure a claimant’s medical condition. Even if a claimant is awarded benefits some conditions may never go away but knowing that the bills are getting paid will at least enable claimants to focus on their condition and not the inability to support themselves.

Let’s do this. ARE YOU READY?!!