Everyone's situation is different. It took roughly 8 weeks for me to be approved. I never needed an attorney. I was long=term committed and had a court appointed guardian. The staff did the paperwork. My guardian signed it. My guardian was able to use my SSDI check to pay my bills while I was committed for a year. I didn't have to worry about losing my home or defaulting on any bills. When I was finally discharged, my guardian had carefully saved money for me so I could pick up the pieces of my life and pay for further treatment. It's very disorientating being confined to a hospital for a year and then suddenly expected to know how to live life again. My guardian did a great job with my money and continued to guide my finances for quite a long time as I dealt with my illnesses.

I guess my only point is how long it takes and whether or not you need an attorney depends on your circumstance. Your psychiatrist is the gate keeper for what SSDI looks for. If your psychiatrist really thinks you need SSDI, he can make a personal call to your case worker and talk directly to him or her. That always makes the process smoother as well. I know people who's psychiatrists were able to get SSDI approval in a few months for their patients. Just depends on the circumstance.