FINDING A CONNECTICUT ATTORNEY
TO HELP WITH SOCIAL SECURITY CLAIMS AND APPEALS

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	DISCLAIMER and EXPLANATION:  It is often hard to find attorneys who feel able to handle the specialized area of Social Security law, in part because the Social Security Administration has special rules for how attorneys can get paid.  To help individuals with disabilities, their families, and those who help them but would prefer to refer such cases to others rather than handling them directly, I have prepared this list.  This is NOT AN ENDORSEMENTin any way.  This is no more than a list of some attorneys who practice in this area that I have contacted, and who have said they would be willing to be included.  (If an attorney is reading this and wants to be included, write to me.)  NOTE:  Social Security Disability law limits what attorneys can get paid. These days (2009 and (!) later) you may see a lot of paid advertisements on TV by attorneys who will handle Social Security Disability work.  I'm suspicious of these ads.  To me, they suggest attorneys who do this work in volume and are less likely to give you individualized attention.  I could be wrong, but it stands to reason that if the attorneys can afford to spend a lot on advertising for work that has limited legal fees, they can only stay in business by doing a large volume of work at low cost.
	How Can You Afford Help?  I have first listed those sources of legal help that are FREE.  These are legal services sources and (from time to time) law school clinics.  However, even if you cannot obtain free services, you should know that in many (not all) cases attorneys will only expect to be paid IF you win, and then ONLY from any "lump sum" you receive when you win.  (This is a generalized statement and you will make your own individual arrangement with the attorney.)   In general, attorneys are LIMITED by law as to how much they can charge to help with a Social Security case.  You should also know APPEALS are often successful.
	Can Family and Friends Pay the Fees?  Yes, although generally, Social Security must approve any fee arrangement between you and an attorney that is outside certain standard amounts.  However, if the person paying the fee has absolutely no legal obligation to pay your fee, and simply chooses to hire an attorney to help you, it may be that the attorney will not have to get Social Security approval, at least if no hearing or appeal is involved.  (For those attorneys (many) who do not agree, I refer them to Social Security Ruling 85-3 and can only state that this is what I have been told repeatedly by Social Security personnel.)  Either way, it may be very useful to get an attorney's help in advance if establishing the facts for a difficult case.
	What if you have to do this on your own, at least to start with?  Since many attorneys will only handle appeals after you are denied, you are often left to "go it alone" for the application process.  You may go to the Social Security Administration office nearest you in person (bring a book -- the wait can be long) or call to schedule an appointment, or you may be able to apply on-line.  The application will ask for the name, address, etc. for all medical providers you have seen, and for your employer information.  My recomendation is that you be "pro-active," and not simply wait and hope that your doctors will say the right things when asked.  "Disabled" means unable to engage in "substantial gainful activity" also known as "SGA" (note: for 2018:  this means inability to earn $1,180/month, or $1,970 if blind) by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months, or (B) blindness; and the term “blindness” means central visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye with the use of a correcting lens."  There is a lot of other fine print, and this is not to be taken as legal advice about whether you, in particular, are entitled to benefits -- but IF you are "going it alone," DO make sure your physician knows this standard and ideally, writes you a letter that says you meet the standard, as well as providing the medical records when Social Security asks. You can even get your own records and provide them directly. You should know that there is a "waiting period" of 5 months of disability before Social Security Disability Income benefits (SSDI) can be paid to you.  SSDI is the Social Security benefit you get if (1) you have worked and paid into the "system," or (2) you are the 50+ age widow(er) of someone who has worked, or (3) you are an adult child of someone who worked, you were disabled (actually disabled -- not necessarily getting SSI) prior to age 22, and your parent is disabled, retired, or deceased.  For #2 and #3, you would give the Social Security number of the person who worked.  During the waiting period, or if you don't qualify for SSDI, you may be able to qualify for SSI, which is for disabled people who don't get SSDI (or if they do, less than $770/month, since maximum SSI is 750 and they will "disregard" $20/month) and have assets below $2,000/month.   Social Security will check to seek if you qualify for both/either.
1.	FREE LEGAL HELP
	Connecticut Legal Services Members of various offices help with these cases. Start by calling Statewide Legal Services at 1-800-453-3320      or Atty. John P. Spilka 153 Williams Street New London, CT 06320 860-447-0323 fax 860-443-0109 jspilka@connlegalservices.org
2.	PRIVATE ATTORNEYS (listed alphabetically by TOWN)
	Hamden Atty. Robert S. Reger Rolnick & Reger 2832 Whitney Ave. Ste. A PO Box 185650 Hamden, CT 06518 203-248-5444 fax 203-288-8777 Hartford Atty. MaryAnne A. Charron Gordon Muir and Foley LLP Ten Columbus  #5Blvd.3 Hartford, CT 06106-5123 860-525-5361 fax 860-525-4849 mcharron@gmflaw.com Hartford Atty. Winona W. Zimberlin 2 Congress  Hartford, CT 06114 860-249-5291 Fax 860-247-4194 wzimberlin@lawyer.com New Haven Atty. Melissa A. Buckley Buckley & Buckley 234 Church Street New Haven, Connecticut 06510 (203) 624-2424 mab@buckleyandbuckley.info New Haven Atty. Andrew I. Schaffer Jacobs, Grudberg, Belt & Dow, PC 350 Orange Street New Haven, CT 06511 203-772-3100 aschaffer@jacobslaw.com Newington John M. Stober Attorney At Law 705 North Mountain Road P.O. Box 310979 Newington, CT 06131-0979 860-953-5687 jmstober@cox.net Norwalk Atty. Charles A. Pirro, III Pirro & Church, LLC 50 Washington Street P.O. Box 844 Norwalk, CT 06856-0844 203 853 4999 Fax: 203 853 9429 mail@pirrochurch.norwalk.ct.us Stamford Atty. Bernard L. Shapiro Atty. John J. Siegel Shapiro & Siegel PC 162 Bedford Street Stamford, CT 06901-1915 203-327-2273 Fax 203-425-3929 ssdssi@hotmail.com Torrington Atty. Michael F. Magistrali 400 Prospect Street Torrington, CT  06790 Telephone:  (860)626-0777 Fax:  (860) 626-0779 michael@magistralilaw.com Wallingford Ann Farrell Leslie Farrell Leslie& Grochowski 375 Center Street Wallingford, CT 06492 Telephone:  203-269-7756 ALeslie@WallingfordLawyers.com Willimantic Atty. Sheldon A. Mossberg 90 South Park Street P.O. Box 165 Willimantic, CT 06226-0165 860-456-1202 fax 860-456-1054 smossberg@attymossberg.com Willimantic Atty. Howard B. Schiller 55 Church Street P.O. Box 699 Willimantic, CT 06226-6990 860-423-1656 fax 860-423-9609 h.schiller@snet.net

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