The only downside that I can see is that the paralegal is probably going to bill hours for all the phone calls and letter writing and photocopying that get done.

You might ask for a brief consultation with the lawyer who will be representing you at the judge hearing if things go to that stage. Even 15 minutes of the lawyer explaining how he/she would represent a case like yours, and what's important to prove your disability, would give you an idea whether you want that lawyer.

After the paralegal bills a lot of hours, it's difficult to switch to a different lawyer if you decide for some reason that you want to do that later on.

I had this happen to me in my first disability claim. I think it's probably not a common thing to happen, but I just thought I'd mention it.

Having said that, it's good to have someone to see all your paperwork and to make sure that Social Security actually puts it in your case file.