how much does an attorney cost to represent for social security overpayment

by Mrs. Aleen McGlynn 10 min read

Usually, a disability attorney will enter into a fee agreement with you to take 25% of your disability backpay or $6,000, whichever is less. Then, when the case is over, if you have won, Social Security forwards the attorney's fee to your attorney.

How do I fight a Social Security overpayment?

If you do not agree that you have been overpaid, or if you believe the amount is incorrect, you can appeal by filing Form SSA-561, Request for Reconsideration. You should explain why you think you have not been overpaid or why you think the amount is not correct.

What do you do when Social Security says you owe them money?

If you think the overpayment wasn't your fault, and you can't afford to pay it back, you can ask SSA to forgive the overpayment. This is called a “Request for Waiver.” You must file a special form called SSA-632. You should file your Request immediately to stop money from being taken out of your monthly benefits.

Can Social Security overpayment be discharged?

Essentially, a Social Security overpayment is a debt you have to pay back. But like most debts, absent fraud, Social Security overpayments are typically dischargeable in bankruptcy.

How do I pay back my SSDI overpayment?

Using Pay.gov to Make Your PaymentUse the link in your billing notice or visit Pay.gov.Enter 'Social Security' in the search box.Click on “Continue” under the Repay Your Social Security Overpayment Online section.Follow the instructions on the following page and click “Continue to the Form.”More items...

Is there really a $16728 Social Security bonus?

The $16,728 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook: If you're like most Americans, you're a few years (or more) behind on your retirement savings. But a handful of little-known "Social Security secrets" could help ensure a boost in your retirement income.Dec 9, 2021

How many years can Social Security go back for overpayment?

SSA can withhold all of your Social Security benefits to repay the overpayment. However, unless there is fraud involved, they will usually let you pay it back in smaller amounts. You will have to pay back at least $10.00 a month. SSA tries to get the money back within 3 years.

Who is responsible for Social Security overpayment?

1906.3Who is liable for repayment of SSI benefits? An individual and spouse who receive SSI payments as a married couple are equally liable if either is overpaid.Apr 19, 2010

How does SSDI determine overpayment?

How do Overpayments Occur?Increases in earned or unearned income that isn't reported to SSA.Changes in living situation or marital status.Having more resources than the allowable limit.An error in calculating the benefit amount due to incorrect or incomplete information at SSA.

What is the monthly amount for Social Security disability?

Social Security disability payments are modest At the beginning of 2019, Social Security paid an average monthly disability benefit of about $1,234 to all disabled workers.

How Disability Attorneys Get Paid

There are two ways for Social Security attorneys to get paid: fee agreements and fee petitions. Fee petitions are used for overpayment cases.

Retainer Fees For Overpayment Cases

When attorneys take Social Security overpayment cases, they will almost always ask you to pay a retainer fee upfront before they will start work. A...

Should You Hire An Attorney For An Overpayment Case?

An attorney can help you by filing an overpayment waiver request, appealing the denial of a waiver request, or negotiating a repayment plan.But eve...

How to Find An Attorney Who Will Take An Overpayment Case

If an attorney represented you at an earlier stage in your disability case, you should consider contacting that person to see if he or she can help...

What Can Cause An overpayment?

our income is more than you estimated.Your living situation changes.Your marital status changes.You have more resources than the allowable limit.Yo...

What Will We Do If There Is An overpayment?

We will send you a notice explaining the overpayment and asking for a full refund within 30 days. If you are currently getting payments and you do...

What Can You Do If You Get An Overpayment Notice?

If you believe you were not overpaid, you may request a reconsideration.If you ask for an appeal within 10 days from the date you receive the notic...

If You Are Not Sure What Caused The Overpayment, You May Ask For A Reconsideration, Or A Waiver, Or both.

You may ask to see your file to see the information we used in figuring the overpayment. You may have us explain the reason for the overpayment whi...

What If There was An Overpayment and We Do Not Grant Your Request For A Waiver?

You can request a reconsideration of Social Security’s denial of your request for waiver. If we continue to deny your waiver request upon reconside...

How much do disability attorneys charge?

Usually, a disability attorney will enter into a fee agreement with you to take 25% of your disability backpay or $6,000 , whichever is less. Then, when the case is over, if you have won, Social Security forwards the attorney's fee to your attorney.

What happens if you lose your Social Security case?

That is, if you lose your case, you will owe your attorney $3,000 in fees (if Social Security approves the request), and you will still owe the overpayment. On the other hand, if Social Security says you owe a $160,000 overpayment, and your attorney will charge you a $3,000 retainer to begin working on it, then you might decide ...

What is retainer fee?

A retainer represents an estimate of the number of hours it might take the attorney to work on your case. For example, if an attorney thought it would take him 15 hours to handle your overpayment case, and his usual rate is $200 per hour, then he might decide to charge you a $3,000 retainer fee before beginning work on your case (15 hours x $200).

What is legal aid?

Legal Aid attorneys work for non-profit law firms whose goal is to provide free legal advice and representation to low-income individuals in civil cases. (A civil case is any kind of case that does not involve a crime. Disability cases are civil cases.) Legal Aid attorneys may be more likely to take overpayment cases than some disability lawyers, ...

Can a disability attorney take overpayment cases?

If you are looking for an attorney to represent you in your Social Security overpayment case, you will find that many disability attorneys do not take overpayment cases. The reason has to do with Social Security's rules about how attorneys get paid.

Contingency Fee Agreement

Whether you are filing for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSD or SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), when you hire a disability attorney you will likely sign a fee agreement that allows the Social Security Administration (SSA) to pay your attorney a fee if your claim is approved.

Disability Back Pay

Once you are approved for disability benefits, the SSA will calculate the amount of back pay it owes you.

Out-of-Pocket Costs

During the course of your claim, your attorney usually has to request your updated medical records, vocational reports, and school and work records. In some instances, your attorney may order independent medical or psychological examinations, which can be quite expensive. The client must pay these costs separate and apart from the attorney’s fee.

Free Case Evaluation With a Board Certified Social Security Disability Attorney

Nick A. Ortiz is a Board Certified Social Security Disability Attorney. Call him today at (850) 898-9904 for a free case evaluation.

What is back pay for SSDI?

Back payments are benefits that accrued while you were waiting for Social Security to approve your case. The amount of your backpay depends on your onset date of disability, when you filed for benefits, and whether you're applying for SSDI or SSI. (To learn more, see Nolo's article on how SSDI back benefits are calculated .)

What is a fee petition?

A fee petition must contain an itemized list of the attorney's activities on the case. Your attorney will send the fee petition to Social Security after your case is complete, and will send a copy to you as well. Social Security will approve the petition only if the fees requested by the attorney are reasonable.

What is an overpayment?

An overpayment is when you receive more money for a month than the amount you should have been paid. The amount of your overpayment is the difference between the amount you received and the amount due.

Can you pay back an overpayment?

You cannot pay back the overpayment because you need the money to meet your ordinary living expenses. You may have to submit proof of your income, as well as bills to show that all of your income is used for your monthly expenses and that it would be a hardship for you to repay.

Pay an Overpayment

We’re pleased to announce that we’ve expanded the options for you to repay overpayments online. If you have an overpayment debt, you may be eligible to make a full or partial payment using Pay.gov or your bank’s online bill pay option. Pay.gov is a secure online service provided by the Department of the Treasury.

Using Pay.gov to Make Your Payment

Our billing notices now include the Pay.gov website information as well as a new Remittance ID. The Remittance ID is a 10-digit alphanumeric number used instead of your Social Security number for online payments. To make a payment, follow these steps:

How long do you have to appeal Social Security overpayment?

Why? For those requesting an appeal within 30 days, the overpayment will not have to be recovered until after the case is reviewed. If you wait the full 60 days, it’s likely the Social Security overpayment recovery process will have already started. This means that the Social Security benefit will be reduced, or worse, eliminated until the overpayment is collected.

How to appeal Social Security?

The key points to remember are: 1 Sometimes the Social Security Administration is wrong. Challenge them! 2 Expect the appeal process to take several weeks. 3 File your appeal within 30 days. 4 Don’t be embarrassed to request a waiver. 5 If you must pay it back, set up your own payment terms.

How Much Does a Lawyer Cost?

If you're facing a legal issue, hiring a lawyer can be invaluable. Having an experienced attorney on your team can significantly impact the outcome of your case. The reality, however, is that hiring a lawyer can be expensive.

Typical Lawyer Cost Structures

There are four main lawyer cost structures that you may encounter when hiring an attorney. It is important to fully understand these fee arrangements to know precisely what you are expected to pay.

Factors that Impact Lawyer Costs

Several factors impact how much a lawyer will cost. The three most important factors are the type of legal work, the attorney's experience level, and the amount of work that the case will require.

What are Typical Attorney Fees

Throughout the United States, typical attorney fees usually range from about $100 an hour to $400 an hour. These hourly rates will increase with experience and practice area specialization.

How Much Does It Cost to Talk to A Lawyer?

The cost of talking to a lawyer varies and depends on how the individual lawyer chooses to bill their clients. Before hiring an attorney to take on your case, you will have a consultation.

Is Hiring a Lawyer Expensive?

Hiring a lawyer can be expensive. Lawyer costs will depend on the type and complexity of the legal issue at hand. When deciding whether to hire an attorney for your legal matter, you must weigh the importance of having an experienced attorney with the potential cost of that attorney.

Get Help with Hiring an Attorney

Do you need help with hiring an attorney for a project? If so, post a project in ContractsCounsel's marketplace to receive flat fee bids from experienced lawyers to handle your project. Our team vets all lawyers on the ContractsCounsel's platform to ensure you are provided with top-tier service.