CBOXPALACE - I expect that I would want the attorney to do the paperwork and the filing. But I want to understand the process and monitor what is going on. Attorneys have told me that they win about 80% of the time. That means that they lose about 20% of the time. To an attorney time is money. The attorney, I suspect (and I may be wrong) is not going to invest an amount of time that far exceeds the value of his expected 25% fee. That's why I think that if the claimant can help with gathering medical history and other relevant info, it makes the case more worthwhile to the attorney. Remember that a good deal of the work a law firm does is actually performed by para-legals. They are using software that allows them to plug in information and then the software spits out a form. My concern is that I might provide more detailed responses than the para-legal would. You are very right in saying that the pros know what SSA is looking for. So, certainly, I would say I need them to make sure that the information presented is relevant to the claim. To sum up, I think it should be a collaborate effort. I would not try to do this on my own.

Junerain - I am very interested to read how you have things worked out. I believe I can work to a limited extent. But, since employer after employer tells me that I am not quite up to par, then I think I need the security of a disability check. I would try to work as much as I could, but I've been doing that for a year and a half. I don't make enough to even hit the limit that is imposed on those with SSDI.

Thanks all of you, it means so much to hear from people who have actually gone through the process.