Success in Chapter 13: What You Need to Know You want to be one of the four out of ten consumers who succeed in Chapter 13.  As your bankruptcy lawyer, I want that too. So I’ve collected some of the most important tips for getting to success in Chapter 13. The Chapter 13 Trustee in Northern Virginia is Thomas Gorman When you file Chapter 13 bankruptcy in Alexandria Virginia, you make payments to the Chapter 13 Trustee, Thomas Gorman. But you do NOT send them to his Alexandria address.  There’s a bank in Memphis that handles Chapter 13 payments for most of the bankruptcy courts in the country.  You send your payment to                                                Thomas Gorman, Trustee                                                P.O. Box 1553                                                 Memphis, TN 38101-1553 Be sure to put your case number on your check. Make the check payable to Thomas Gorman, Trustee. I have a lot more info on Chapter 13 Trustee Thomas Gorman, here.  PS, His physical address is 1414 Prince Street, Suite 202, Alexandria VA.  You should never have to go there.     The post Success in Chapter 13: What You Need to Know appeared first on Robert Weed Bankruptcy Attorney.

Success in Chapter 13: What You Need to Know You want to be one of the four out of ten consumers who succeed in Chapter 13.  As your bankruptcy lawyer, I want that too. So I’ve collected some of the most important tips for getting to success in Chapter 13. The Chapter 13 Trustee in Northern Virginia is Thomas Gorman When you file Chapter 13 bankruptcy in Alexandria Virginia, you make payments to the Chapter 13 Trustee, Thomas Gorman. But you do NOT send them to his Alexandria address.  There’s a bank in Memphis that handles Chapter 13 payments for most of the bankruptcy courts in the country.  You send your payment to                                                Thomas Gorman, Trustee                                                P.O. Box 1553                                                 Memphis, TN 38101-1553 Be sure to put your case number on your check. Make the check payable to Thomas Gorman, Trustee. I have a lot more info on Chapter 13 Trustee Thomas Gorman, here.  PS, His physical address is 1414 Prince Street, Suite 202, Alexandria VA.  You should never have to go there.     The post Success in Chapter 13: What You Need to Know appeared first on Robert Weed Bankruptcy Attorney.

The bankruptcy means test often feels like a maze. Find your way out, to the best result possible, with the tips and tricks we’ll share in a free webinar on Means Test Part 2: Quirks and Quagmires, April 9th at 10 am PDT. Register here. Judge John Gustafson and bankruptcy specialist Cathy Moran will focus […] The post Maximize Means Test Deductions Every Time appeared first on Bankruptcy Mastery.

Here’s what we usually need for our second meetingMy Be Happy form asks the information the bankruptcy court needs to approve your case. So we can “be happy.”The Be Happy form is mostly bio information that we need to get your case approved.  You can start here.  (Please don’t budget too low on your food and clothes.)We’ll need a credit report. You have a legal right to get a free one at annualcreditreport.com. Usually, TransUnion is the easiest one of the three to download and read. They’d rather you pay than get a free one, so they make it just a little complicated. Vanessa can take you through it if you have any trouble,Vanessa will also set up document portals for the required documents. Last year’s taxes, seven months of pay stubs, your ID and Social Security card.I’m required to send you these fine-print notices.This links to the way I calculate your legal fee.  This is the price set by the court for Chapter 13 bankruptcy cases.   The post Here’s What We Need for our Second Meeting appeared first on Robert Weed Bankruptcy Attorney.

Here’s what we usually need for our second meetingMy Be Happy form asks the information the bankruptcy court needs to approve your case. So we can “be happy.”The Be Happy form is mostly bio information that we need to get your case approved.  You can start here.  (Please don’t budget too low on your food and clothes.)We’ll need a credit report. You have a legal right to get a free one at annualcreditreport.com. Usually, TransUnion is the easiest one of the three to download and read. They’d rather you pay than get a free one, so they make it just a little complicated. Vanessa can take you through it if you have any trouble,Vanessa will also set up document portals for the required documents. Last year’s taxes, seven months of pay stubs, your ID and Social Security card.I’m required to send you these fine-print notices.This links to the way I calculate your legal fee.  This is the price set by the court for Chapter 13 bankruptcy cases.   The post Here’s What We Need for our Second Meeting appeared first on Robert Weed Bankruptcy Attorney.

The Latest Things you Need to Know About Student Loan Bankruptcy Ed Boltz Thu, 04/04/2024 - 16:34 Here's a breakdown of the latest developments regarding filing student loan debts in bankruptcy: Historically Difficult, Now Easier Undue Hardship Standard: It's been notoriously difficult to discharge student loans in bankruptcy. You must prove to the court that repaying the loans would cause "undue hardship" on you and your dependents. This has been  a high bar to meet. Changes to Student Loan Discharge: In November 2022, the Departments of Justice and Education introduced changes that had been under consideration under both the Biden and Trump administrations to the process aiming to make it easier for borrowers to potentially discharge federal student loan debt in bankruptcy. New Streamlined Path: The process now includes a form borrowers can use to  certify their financial situation. The Department of Justice can potentially agree to a discharge recommendation without extensive court proceedings. The final decision still rests with a bankruptcy judge. Key Points to Understand Success Not Guaranteed: While the process has been simplified somewhat, successfully discharging student loans in bankruptcy remains challenging. Undue Hardship Requirement Remains: You'll still need strong evidence that repayment imposes an undue hardship on your life in order to succeed. Adversary Proceeding: Discharging student loans in bankruptcy requires a separate legal filing within your bankruptcy case called an adversary proceeding. Private Loans: The streamlined process does not apply to private loans. Their dischargeability depends on the specific loan terms. What Does This Mean? More Borrowers Are Trying: Increased awareness of these legal changes has led to more borrowers attempting to discharge their student loans through bankruptcy. Early Successes: The first year since the process was changed has seen a significant number of cases with full or partial discharges granted. Important Considerations It's Not Automatic: Bankruptcy doesn't erase all debts. Student loans might not be automatically discharged even if other debts are. Impact on Credit: Filing bankruptcy itself will negatively impact your credit score. Professional Advice is Crucial: If you're struggling with overwhelming student loan debt, consider consulting with both a student loan specialist and an experienced bankruptcy attorney to fully explore your options. Blog comments Category Student Loan Debt

Ed Boltz Reveals There is Hope For Student Debt In Bankruptcy masteradmin Tue, 04/02/2024 - 19:32 A federal program has been reported to make it easier to get student loan debt discharged in bankruptcy. This is nothing new over the last two years but has been sluggish in making clear headway. At the moment, only a small number of student loan debt applicants have had their debt discharged. However the problem is not enough attorneys or judges are familiar with the process.  Federal student loans were not always so burdensome to borrowers. In 1998 the Higher Education Amendments Act made them nondischargeable in bankruptcy except in cases of "undue hardship." Prior to that law, that standard only applied for the first decade after a student graduated. Now, consumer bankruptcy attorneys say they are hopeful the new program can provide an escape hatch for the otherwise grueling standard. After the U.S. Supreme Court dashed hopes of sweeping student loan forgiveness via executive order in 2022, the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Education attempted to make some measure of change on their own by opening avenues for debtors to argue their debt should be discharged. Under the new, streamlined process, a bankrupt debtor files a 15-page attestation thoroughly describing their financial situation as well as an adversary complaint against the DOE. After assistant U.S. attorneys review the case, the government may choose to stipulate that the applicant qualifies under the undue hardship standard and that it does not oppose the debt being discharged. DOJ Promises The new guideline does not change the undue hardship standard, but it simplifies the process and states how cases are evaluated more explicitly than before, according to the DOJ. The DOJ released a report in November calling the new guidelines "successful," touting 632 adversary proceedings filed in the first 10 months of the program — a figure that experts told Law360 was underwhelming. For Vivian Houghton, a Delaware-based bankruptcy attorney, the DOJ got debtors' and their attorneys' hopes up only to dash them with a process that roughly costs the same and comes with a similar level of uncertainty. "You've got a lot of disappointed people. Disappointed but not surprised," Houghton said. "I thought the ideas were good, but we were made promises that our documents would be looked at, that it would be user friendly, and it turned out not to be true." The DOJ said in its report that 99% of cases in which a court rendered a judgment led to some debt discharge and that the process was working well. The agency declined to answer questions sent by Law360 and to provide updated figures. The DOE referred questions back to the DOJ. Stretto's Roitburg said of those 632 filings, only about 120 received decisions, and 84 of those borrowers received full or partial discharges — or 13% of the total. The DOJ's argument that the majority of cases in which a judgment was entered is misleading, according to Roitburg, because an unsuccessful attempt at getting a discharge will result in a dismissal, meaning the court will not enter a judgment. Roitburg also cited separate data gleaned from the firm's analyzer tool, which showed that lawyers had used it to file 181 adversary cases from Feb. 2023 through the end of Jan. 2024, of which 142 are still pending. Of the resolved cases, 16 were dismissed. For the 23 cases that resulted in a stipulation — leading to the discharge of $2 million worth of student loans — borrowers had to wait 162 days on average for a decision, according to Roitburg, who blamed the delays on insufficient funding. The delays can be attributed to the time it takes for consumer bankruptcy attorneys — who are not always trained in litigation and adversary proceedings — to level up, as well as for the feds to adapt to a new approach, according to Ed Boltz, a bankruptcy attorney at the Law Offices of John T. Orcutt and former president of the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys. "The Department of Ed had to staff up for this too, and had to educate all the AUS As across the country because it was a change for them. For the longest time, if you had one of those cases where student loans were discharged, that was a loss. You'd failed," Boltz said. The government's new mentality is more conciliatory, along the lines of, "our job is also to protect our citizens who need relief," Boltz said. "That's a win."Lawyers Still Adjusting Another reason for the low numbers of adversary proceedings is that consumer bankruptcy lawyers are still educating themselves on the process as well. Many are not accustomed to litigation and adversary proceedings, which are not part of the usual course of their business, Johnson told Law360. Some attorneys are waiting for the process to have been in place for a few years to suss out the territory before they wade into it themselves, Boltz said, and others have fired off many adversary proceedings at once with less than stellar results. "Some people have been hesitant and others have charged in too quickly," Boltz said. An adjustment period is also going to be necessary for judges, some of whom are accustomed to viewing themselves as backstopping the federal budget and thus may be reluctant to let debtors off the hook, Boltz said. Data analyzed by Stretto shows that the judge handling a debtor's case can affect the outcome, with some judges dismissing every case that has come before them and others granting every case. In the early stages of the new process, attorneys may prefer to bring only their strongest and most sympathetic cases in venues where the judges have a track record of being skeptical, according to Boltz. "We want to warm up the judges who are lukewarm with the right debtor, with a sympathetic debtor," Boltz said. Attorneys should also make sure they know the undue hardship requirements down pat and not just argue that the debtor cannot afford to make payments. "I tell people to make sure you know what you're doing; there's nothing that will make a judge angrier than muddling around," Boltz said. "Go in with greater preparation rather than just say, this debtor clearly can't pay their student loans." To help the judge understand their client's circumstances, attorneys should attach a copy of the attestation to their complaint under seal, so that the judge can see it but the public cannot. "The complaints filed in this case are not super detailed, and you still want to protect your client's privacy," Boltz said. Ultimately, Houghton said, the real fix is not improving the adversary proceeding process but a change in legislation. The status quo under which student loans are generally nondischargeable is only 26 years old, and it could be undone by Congress. Houghton said it should be, to undo the bind of student loan debt being treated differently than any other type of debt. "In a Chapter 7, if you came to me with a million in gambling debt over at Delaware Park [Casino] and asked if it could be discharged, my answer would be yes. But student debt, no," Houghton said. "So you might want to give it a try and see if you can make a few bucks and pay off this student debt." Blog comments Category Student Loan Debt

When your property is being sold off to satisfy creditors, you should receive a notice for foreclosure and a sheriff’s sale. While these processes are related, there are differences between them that can seriously impact your case. If you are behind on your payments and your creditor has filed suit against you, you are facing foreclosure. This is only the beginning of losing your property, though, as the sheriff’s sale acts as the mechanism to sell it to another party. Fortunately, our team can help you develop a strategy that can stop this, regardless of which stage of the process you are in. After reviewing your case, we will better understand your financial situation and the options that makes available. Even if you decide you want to sell the property, we can help so that the sale satisfies your debts. Contact Young, Marr, Mallis & Associates at (215) 701-6519 for a free case review with our Pennsylvania property attorneys. What Are the Main Differences Between Foreclosures and Sheriff’s Sales in Pennsylvania? In Pennsylvania, the processes of foreclosure and sheriff’s sales are intertwined yet distinct, each playing its role in how properties with unpaid mortgages or taxes are dealt with. Fortunately, our Pennsylvania property lawyers can help explain the distinctions and how to address each situation. A foreclosure will be the first part of the process initiated by the lender, like a bank or mortgage company, when a homeowner fails to make mortgage payments. Through foreclosure proceedings, the lender can attempt to recover the balance of a loan from the homeowner who has stopped making payments. To foreclose on a home, though, a lender must file a complaint in the Court of Common Pleas and obtain a judgment against the homeowner. A sheriff’s sale, on the other hand, is the culmination of the foreclosure process, where the property is auctioned to the highest bidder. It is a means by which the foreclosing entity, whether it be a bank, tax authority, or homeowners’ association (HOA), regains title to the property and auctions it off to satisfy the outstanding debts. How Can I Contest a Foreclosure in Pennsylvania? You can contest a foreclosure in a number of ways. In every case, homeowners have the right to respond to the foreclosure complaint by filing an answer with the court. This response can challenge the foreclosure on various grounds, such as errors in the mortgage or servicing process, lack of standing by the lender, or violations of state and federal mortgage laws. By filing an answer, you move the case into the litigation process, potentially leading to a more favorable outcome for you and your family. Arranging to catch up on missed payments through loan modification or forbearance could also prevent foreclosure. However, this option typically requires skillful negotiation with the lender but can provide a viable path to keeping your home. Some Pennsylvania counties also offer pre-foreclosure mediation programs designed to help homeowners and lenders find alternatives to foreclosure. Participation in these programs can delay the proceedings and often lead to a modified loan agreement or another solution that allows you to avoid foreclosure. However, if you lose in a pre-foreclosure mediation or initial hearing, you usually have the right to appeal to a higher court. While challenging, this route allows homeowners to halt the foreclosure decision, at least until additional evidence and arguments are presented to overturn the original decision. Lastly, thoroughly reviewing the foreclosure documentation and overall process can reveal errors or legal violations that could serve as a basis for contesting the foreclosure. These might include mistakes in the loan balance, misapplied payments, or the lender’s failure to follow Pennsylvania’s foreclosure procedures correctly. How Can I Contest a Sheriff’s Sale in Pennsylvania? The fact that you have gone through foreclosure and moved on to a sheriff’s sale does not mean your options to contest the sale of your property have entirely run out. Gross inadequacy of price can be argued as a valid reason to set aside a sheriff’s sale. While a low sale price alone might not suffice, significantly low prices that shock the conscience of the court might warrant invalidating the sale. Challenges can also be based on a lack of authority to sell the property or fraud in the conduct of the sale. Homeowners can generally contest a sale if it was conducted without proper authority or if fraudulent practices were involved at any point in the process. Another good strategy to stop a sheriff’s sale is to file for bankruptcy. In most cases, filing for bankruptcy triggers an automatic stay that forbids any further collection actions, including sheriff’s sales. However, this option hinges on your filing being approved by the court, which usually means showing your ability to make your payments or plan to make payments over time. We can also help you file a motion to set aside a sheriff’s sale for proper cause. This usually requires demonstrating to the court a significant violation of your rights, such as procedural errors or gross mistakes that justify setting aside the sale. Alternatively, petitions to postpone a sheriff’s sale can be filed up until the day before the sale, providing a short-term reprieve to address the underlying issues causing the sale. However, it is best to file these petitions at least a week in advance so your petition has a chance to be heard. How Can a Pennsylvania Property Attorney Help a Foreclosure or Sheriff’s Sale Case? With so much on the line in these types of proceedings, it is hard to overstate the importance of having a knowledgeable attorney on your side. One of the key services our team provides is negotiating with lenders on behalf of our clients. This usually involves seeking a compromise through a loan modification, forbearance agreement, or other arrangements that allow you to retain possession of the property while addressing the underlying debts. Should a foreclosure or sheriff’s sale case proceed to court, we will be ready to present evidence and fight for your rights. However, this typically entails gathering and organizing a great deal of evidence. Fortunately, we know what to look for, so your filing is complete. The documents you will need include the original mortgage or deed of trust, promissory note, and any modification agreements you made. We can also account for and make detailed records of the total mortgage payments you made. These records should also show dates, amounts, and methods of payment. In some cases, this can expose discrepancies in the lender’s claims. Lastly, our team will compile all communication between you and the lender or servicer, including letters, emails, and any notices related to the mortgage. Letters and emails discussing payment difficulties, foreclosure avoidance options, or loan modification requests are especially important. Our Pennsylvania Property Lawyers Can Help Whether You Are Facing Foreclosure or a Sheriff’s Sale For a free case analysis with our Pennsylvania property lawyers, call Young, Marr, Mallis & Associates at (215) 701-6519.

A sheriff’s sale is the sale of a repossessed property by law enforcement. Many individuals can be dismayed when a sale of their property takes place after it has been possessed. It can feel like the final nail in the coffin for ever having a chance at getting your property back. Moreover, a sheriff’s sale may come as a surprise if you do not know what to look for to figure out if a sheriff’s sale could be in your future. You do not need to be given notice that a sale of your foreclosed property is taking place until ten days before the actual sale. However, there are a lot of other notices that happen beforehand which, if you know what you are looking for, can indicate the potential for a future Sherrif’s sale of your property. If you are concerned about an impending sheriff’s sale, call our New Jersey foreclosure attorneys from Young, Marr, Mallis & Associates at (609) 755-3115. When Will I Learn that a Sheriff’s Sale is Happening in New Jersey? If your property is going to be sold at a sheriff’s sale in New Jersey, you will be informed of the sale at least ten days before the sale takes place per N.J. Ct. R. 4.65-2. The notice will be sent in the mail to you so that you know when the sale is going to take place. However, there will also be other notices before the “final” notice ten days prior to the sale. These notices do not necessarily have to be sent to you directly. They may act as “constructive notice,” where the information is available but you have to go looking for it. Will I Get Notifications Before a Sheriff’s Sale in New Jersey? There are other ways to know that a sheriff’s sale may be in your future in New Jersey. Many things have to happen before a property goes up for sale in this way, but in most cases, it should not be terribly surprising that a sheriff’s sale is in the future. Sheriff’s sales are auctions of foreclosed properties. Therefore, a foreclosure has to have happened before a sheriff’s sale can take place. The fact that a foreclosure needs to take place beforehand gives many opportunities to receive notice that a sheriff’s sale could be in the future. First, the lender cannot do anything regarding foreclosure proceedings before letting you know that something has gone wrong. Per 12 U.S.C. § 3708, your lender has to contact you within 45 days of your first missed payment on a mortgage. This is potentially the first notice that many people get of an impending foreclosure and subsequent sheriff’s sale. While lenders are not required to do so, they may also give subsequent notices that you have missed mortgage payments before initiating foreclosure, which can provide even more awareness that the property could be sold off. Can I Delay a Sheriff’s Sale of My Property in New Jersey? In New Jersey, homeowners are allowed to delay a sheriff’s sale of their property up to two times. Delaying a sheriff’s sale is also known as an “adjournment.” A property can be adjourned up to five times per N.J.S.A. § 2A:17-36: twice by the lender, twice by the debtor, and once upon agreement by both the lender and the debtor. Each adjournment cannot last longer than 30 days. Stopping a Sheriff’s Sale in New Jersey There are a couple of ways that you can stop a sheriff’s sale in New Jersey. Some of these methods are employed before your property is foreclosed on, while others can be used later in the process. Redemption Property owners have something called a “right of redemption,” which they can exercise for ten days following a sheriff’s sale of their property. The right of redemption is the ability of the property owner to reclaim their property by paying all outstanding balances all at once. The property owner must pay any unpaid debts from their mortgage, the cost of going through foreclosure, and the cost of putting the property up for sale. This can be a lot of capital to come up with. You should discuss your situation with our New Jersey foreclosure defense lawyers to determine if exercising a right of redemption makes sense for you. Curing Under the Mortgage Most mortgages have a time period within which you can “cure” a default or missed payment. If you can make the payment to your lender in that timeframe, they cannot foreclose on your property, and there, therefore, cannot be a subsequent sheriff’s sale. Bankruptcy If you file bankruptcy while the foreclosure process is ongoing, it can stop it in its tracks. This is because, when you file bankruptcy, something called an “automatic stay” is put in place, which instantly stops all debt collection efforts against you, including foreclosure proceedings. This can prevent a sheriff’s sale from happening, at least until bankruptcy proceedings have ended. However, this only works if a foreclosure is ongoing. If you file for bankruptcy during a sheriff’s sale, it is not as effective. Injunctions Another way to stop a sheriff’s sale is to ask the court for injunctive relief. An injunction is an official court order preventing something from happening. For an injunction to work, our attorneys have to convince the court that we would be likely to win at trial, and we would also need to show that failure to put the injunction in place would be unfair under the law. It may make sense to file an injunction to prevent a sheriff’s sale in your case, depending on the circumstances. Talk to Our New Jersey Foreclosure and Sheriff’s Sale Lawyer Today Young, Marr, Mallis & Associates has Cherry Hill, NJ  foreclosure defense lawyers ready to help you out when you call us at (609) 755-3115.

If a recent accident or diagnosis has left you unable to work, you can apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits. Doing this right away is important, as it could be a few months before the Social Security Administration (SSA) approves your application. Getting approved for SSDI benefits can be a long process. The Social Security Administration will start by reviewing your application, which should include information about your work history and qualifying medical condition. During this time, the SSA might contact you with additional questions about your disability. Even after the SSA approves your application, you might have to wait several months before you receive your first check, depending on when your disability began and when you applied for SSDI. If the SSA denied your claim, our lawyers can help you make a request for reconsideration within 60 days. You should not wait to apply for SSDI benefits if you are disabled and cannot work, as doing so could hurt your case. For help with your case from our disability lawyers, call Young, Marr, Mallis & Associates at (215) 515-2954 or (609) 557-3081 today. How Long Does it Take to Get Approved for SSDI Benefits? Applying for SSDI benefits can be a complicated and lengthy process. Our lawyers can make sure we include the necessary information in your application for benefits so that you do not face any unnecessary delays with your claim. Depending on the case, the Social Security Administration might take several months to review a claim and make a decision. Cases might get delayed when applicants don’t include all necessary information in their applications. For example, if the SSA is unsatisfied with the medical records you have provided regarding your disability, it might request additional information, forcing you to wait longer for approval. Preparing your SSDI application ahead of time might help speed the approval process up. Our Pennsylvania, PA disability lawyers can compare your recent diagnosis to the SSA’s listing of impairments for SSDI benefits to ensure you are eligible. We will also gather information about your work history to estimate your monthly benefit before submitting your application. Mandatory Waiting Periods Following SSDI Approval After the SSA approves SSDI applicants, applicants must go through a mandatory five-month waiting period. The Social Security Administration uses this five-month waiting period to confirm applicants’ eligibility. The mandatory waiting period starts the first full month after an applicant’s disability begins. So, depending on how soon after becoming disabled you apply for SSDI benefits, you might not have to wait too long after being approved to get your first check. Applicants with certain conditions, like ALS, are not subject to waiting periods for SSDI. Because of when the waiting period officially begins, claimants often don’t know when they’ll get their first checks. Suppose the SSA finds that a claimant’s disability began at the start of June after reviewing their application and medical records. Considering the fact that the five-month waiting period starts after the first full month of disability, the applicant in this situation would be get their first check in December. So, all in all, the five-month waiting period often ends up being six months, because of how the SSA sends out checks. Our attorneys can confirm if the mandatory five-month waiting period applies to your case and, depending on the starting date of your disability and the date you applied for benefits, whether or not you will have to wait at all after the SSA approves your application. How Long Do SSDI Appeals Take? Unfortunately, the SSA does not approve all valid SSDI claims the first time around. If the SSA recently denied your claim, our lawyers can take you through the appeals process as quickly as possible. Waiting to hear back from the SSA could leave SSDI applicants without income for far too long. If, after waiting several weeks or months, the learn that the SSA denied your claim, you can appeal the decision. Applicants must submit a request for reconsideration within 60 days of learning about a claim denial. When you request reconsideration from the SSA, we can submit additional proof of your disability verifying your eligibility for SSDI. If the SSA does not change its decision, you can request a hearing from an administrative law judge within 60 days. The appeals process might drag on, especially if claimants are unprepared or do not know the reasons for the initial claim denial. To find success in your appeal and ensure that you do not have to continue to appeal your case, our attorneys will review the reasons for the SSA’s initial denial and gather medical evidence necessary to compel the SSA to reconsider its decision as soon as possible after a rejection. Should You Wait to Apply for SSDI Benefits? If a recent diagnosis has left you unable to work and earn an income, you might be eligible for SSDI benefits. You should not wait to apply for these benefits, as doing so could leave you without the financial support you need. Many conditions, ranging from cancers to mental health disorders, qualify insured workers for SSDI benefits. Even if your condition is not specifically listed by the SSA as an eligible disability, the SSA might approve your claim is your disability is similar enough. Waiting to apply for SSDI benefits because you think your disability is not debilitating could ultimately harm your application. Furthermore, SSDI benefits are only retroactive up to a point. While the SSA might pay retroactive benefits from the day you stopped being able to work because of your injuries, it will only do so for the year leading up to when you submitted your application for benefits. So, if you wait upwards of a year to get your SSDI benefits, you might not get all retroactive payments possible. Call Our Lawyers for Help with Your SSDI Application You can get a free case review from Young, Marr, Mallis & Associates when you call our West Chester, PA disability lawyers today at (215) 515-2954 or (609) 557-3081.