I would strongly advise you to get an attorney.

I'm a nurse, and I have seen some situations where it should have been a no-brainer that the persons were very appropriate candidates for SSDI. Yet - they got refused. (I knew of a person with very advanced rheumatoid arthritis who got turned down. This person tried doing it without legal representation.)

Anyone I know of who WAS successful did have an attorney.

Most communities do have some kind of an non-profit agency that will "do what the lawyers do" without charging you anything. Often these are good people and they do have their share of successes.

Quite frankly, though - and after having researched this a lot - I would get the help of an attorney. Furthermore, I would look for a firm that specializes in disability claims.

They (the attorneys) are limited - by law - in what they can charge you.

At the very least, do what I've done and "Google" the subject. I found out that I had a lot to learn.