I wish people would quit making this generalization...for the initially applying a lawyer is not needed not sure what difference having one to start with or not would make. However when I appealed the lawyer did lots of things I couldn't have done effectively, even with the attorney It was ridiculously stressful, no way I could have handled all the paper work and digging around to get medical records and then putting together a convincing case. If I was responsible to do everything the lawyer did that really would not have put me in a good place.