Speaking in front of a judge is intimidating enough without the added pressure of knowing your answers to their questions could determine your access to benefits. For this reason, claimants should arrive at their hearing prepared with useful information and enough practice to answer the judge’s questions successfully.

Fortunately, there are a few tactics that have been proven to produce positive results during a disability hearing. Continue reading to learn a few ways that our trusted disability lawyers at Second Chance Lawyer recommend answering questions during a hearing.

Tips for Responding to Questions During a Disability Hearing

Avoid vague responses

The key to a successful disability hearing is conveying the profound impact that your disability has had on your life. Those who are preparing for a hearing should write down a list of specific reasons why their disability has impeded their ability to find work and perform well. Additionally, our disability lawyers recommend practicing statements so that you are comfortable going into depth when describing your impairment in the courtroom.

As an example, someone with severe depression may want to describe the physical manifestations of this illness, such as a feeling of lethargy, extreme fatigue, and a crippling inability to stay on task at work. A claimant should feel free to go into as much detail as possible and reference medical examinations so that the judge is able to find favorably for them.

Improve credibility with honest answers

During a disability hearing, sufferers of disabilities often exaggerate or minimize symptoms in an anxious attempt to adhere to the judge’s expectations. We recommend avoiding these tendencies at all costs since judges are trained to differentiate between honest and exaggerated statements. One of the easiest ways to ensure you create an honest depiction of your disability is to speak to your loved ones, your physician, and your lawyer in the days leading up to your hearing. Recording common statements that you use to describe your impairment to various people will help guide your answers to questions during your hearing.  You should expect to go through a couple of hours of preparation with your lawyer a couple of weeks prior to your hearing to prepare you for your hearing or at least that is the benefit of choosing Attorney Merryl Jones at Second Chance Lawyer.

Contact a reputable disability lawyer today at 800-749-3612 to prepare for your hearing.