Social Security Disability • SSD, SSDI & SSI
Facing a Social Security Disability Hearing in Portland? Don’t Go Alone.
A hearing is where a judge hears from you and decides your appeal. Our disability team prepares people in Portland and across Oregon for their hearings, organizes the evidence, and appears with you before the judge so your story is clearly presented.
Our Firm
A Legal Team Experienced With Social Security Disability Hearings
Brian Goode
&
Justin Idiart
By the time you receive a hearing date in Portland or anywhere in Oregon, you have already been waiting a long time. You may feel anxious about talking to a judge, unsure what to say, and worried that one mistake could cost you the benefits you need.
At Idiart Law Group, we understand how important this moment is. For more than 25 years, our attorneys and staff have represented injured and disabled people, including many clients in Portland and guided them through complex processes like Social Security Disability hearings.
Our disability team knows what judges typically focus on, which questions they ask, and what evidence can make a difference. We work with you ahead of time so that when you appear at your hearing, you are prepared, supported, and not facing it alone.
Social Security Disability Benefits
Make the Most of Your Disability Hearing
A disability hearing is not like a criminal trial or a jury trial. There is no prosecutor, no jury, and the judge is there to evaluate your medical conditions, your work history, and how your symptoms affect you day to day.
Still, the hearing can feel intimidating if you do not know what to expect. The judge may ask detailed questions about your past jobs, your pain or mental health symptoms, and what you can and cannot do during a typical day in Portland. The judge may also ask a medical or vocational witness to testify, including about whether there are jobs you could still do.
Idiart Law Group helps you make the most of this opportunity by:
- Reviewing your file so we know what the judge has already seen
- Identifying weak spots or gaps in the medical evidence
- Preparing you for common hearing questions
- Helping you clearly explain your symptoms and limitations in your own words
- Responding to testimony about jobs that may not match your reality
Our goal is to help the judge understand the full picture of your health, your work history, and why you may meet Social Security’s rules for disability.
Free Review of Your Case Before the Hearing
If you have a hearing scheduled in Portland, or expect to receive a hearing date soon, this is an important time to get experienced help. Social Security sends its hearing notice at least 75 days ahead, and that window is when we strengthen your case and prepare you to testify.
Our disability team offers a free review of your case and upcoming hearing. We will:
- Look at your denial history and where your case stands now
- Review your medical treatment and identify missing records
- Discuss what the judge will likely focus on in your case
- Explain what to expect at the hearing, step by step
- Outline how we can help you prepare and represent you at the hearing.
Idiart Law Group handles Social Security Disability cases on a contingency fee basis. That means No Fees Unless We Win. In most SSD cases, attorney fees are a percentage of your past-due benefits and must be approved by Social Security. If there is no recovery, you do not pay an attorney fee.
FREE SSD BENEFITS CONSULTATION
More than 8 Million Americans qualify for Social Security Disability Benefits.
HOW IT WORKS
Preparing for a Social Security Disability Hearing With Idiart Law Group
A strong hearing is the result of careful preparation, clear evidence, and honest testimony. Here is how we guide clients in Portland and across our service area through the hearing stage.
Step 1
Review Your File and Hearing Status
We obtain and review your Social Security file, including prior applications, denial letters, medical records, and any forms you have completed. We confirm your hearing date, location, and assigned judge, then discuss the overall strategy for your Portland disability hearing.
Step 2
Strengthen Your Medical and Vocational Evidence
We help gather updated medical records, test results, and treatment notes. When appropriate, we may request supportive statements from your doctors or other providers. We also review your work history and clarify how your past jobs were actually performed so the judge has an accurate picture of your abilities and limitations in Portland.
Step 3
Prepare You for Hearing Questions
We meet with you before the hearing to review the questions a judge may ask about your symptoms, limitations, daily activities, and work history. We also help you practice clear, honest answers so you feel prepared and confident for your hearing, whether you are in Portland or elsewhere in Oregon.
Step 4
Pursue the Claim
On the day of the hearing, we appear with you before the Administrative Law Judge. We help present your case, ask follow-up questions when needed, respond to testimony about jobs, and make legal arguments about why you may qualify for disability benefits under Social Security’s rules.
Step 1
Review Your File and Hearing Status
We obtain and review your Social Security file, including prior applications, denial letters, medical records, and any forms you have completed. We confirm your hearing date, location, and assigned judge, then discuss the overall strategy for your Portland disability hearing.
Step 2
Strengthen Your Medical and Vocational Evidence
We help gather updated medical records, test results, and treatment notes. When appropriate, we may request supportive statements from your doctors or other providers. We also review your work history and clarify how your past jobs were actually performed so the judge has an accurate picture of your abilities and limitations in Portland.
Step 3
Prepare You for Hearing Questions
We meet with you before the hearing to review the questions a judge may ask about your symptoms, limitations, daily activities, and work history. We also help you practice clear, honest answers so you feel prepared and confident for your hearing, whether you are in Portland or elsewhere in Oregon.
Step 4
Pursue the Claim
On the day of the hearing, we appear with you before the Administrative Law Judge. We help present your case, ask follow-up questions when needed, respond to testimony about jobs, and make legal arguments about why you may qualify for disability benefits under Social Security’s rules.
Ways We Can Help
Car Accident
If a careless driver hurt you or someone you love, we’re here to step in. Our team deals with the insurance company, gathers the evidence, and fights to recover money for medical bills, lost wages, and the impact on your life.
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Social Security Disability
When a health condition keeps you from working, getting SSD benefits shouldn’t be another battle. We guide you through applications and appeals, handle the paperwork and deadlines, and work to prove your disability so you’re not facing the system alone.
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Slip & Fall
Falls on unsafe floors, stairs, or walkways can cause serious injuries. We hold negligent property owners accountable and pursue compensation for your medical treatment, lost income, and pain and suffering.
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We handle many types of cases, including:
- Personal Injury
- Car Accident
- Social Security Disability
- Catastrophic Injury
- Dog Bite
- Disability Application
- Disability Appeal
- Disability Hearing
- Pedestrian Accident
- Wrongful Death
- Medical Malpractice
- Nursing Home
- Slip & Fall
MEET OUR TEAM
Honest Care • Clear Advice • Smart Approach
Director of Social Security
Brian Goode
Personal Disability Attorney
Justin Idiart
Hearing Representative
Brandon Chapman
Hearing Representative
Breanne Hutchison
Hearing Representative
David Sanders
Customer Reviews
Trusted Attorneys for over 25 years
Social Security Disability in Oregon, by the Numbers
See how many Oregon claims Social Security approves and how long a hearing takes, from the agency's own figures.
See the Oregon numbersPortland Disability Hearing Questions
How long is the wait at Social Security's Portland hearing office, and how often do its judges approve claims?
Social Security's tables list two hearing offices in Oregon, one of them under the name Portland. Its September 2026 report shows an average wait there of 8 months until a hearing was held. In fiscal year 2026, judges there approved 1,421 of the 2,220 cases they decided, about 64 percent. Nationwide it was about 58 percent. Past cases do not predict yours. Social Security says the hearing may be online, in person, or by phone. Our disability team prepares you either way.
My hearing is only a few weeks away. Is it too late to bring in your disability team?
It may not be, but call today. For hearings, Social Security recommends appointing a representative as early as possible, so that person has time to review your file. One date is fixed. For a disability hearing, you must submit written evidence, or tell Social Security about it, no later than 5 business days before the hearing. Text or call (855) 772-6969 and have your hearing notice handy. Our disability team reviews the file, requests missing records, and prepares you to testify.
I am behind on rent and my utilities may be shut off while I wait for a hearing. Can the wait be shortened?
Ask, because it can be. Social Security's hearing manual calls for faster handling in cases such as terminal illness, homelessness and dire need. Dire need includes being without food, medicine or basic utilities and unable to get them. Giving up the 75 day advance notice of the hearing, with form HA-510, may also help Social Security schedule your hearing faster. Keep the shutoff or eviction notices. Our disability team sends them in with a written request and follows up with the hearing office.
What should be in my file before a disability hearing?
Everything that has happened since you applied. Useful evidence often includes records of treatment, tests and hospital stays since you applied, the names and contact details of all your medical sources, details about your daily activities before and after you became disabled, and your work history and any efforts to work. Social Security's rules say you must tell it about or submit all evidence known to you that relates to your disability (20 CFR 404.1512). Our disability team checks your file against that list and fills the gaps.
Reconsideration was just denied. How long do I have to ask for a hearing?
If reconsideration is denied, you have 60 days to ask for a hearing with an administrative law judge. An administrative law judge is a judge who works for Social Security and decides appeals. Social Security warns that if you miss the deadline to request a hearing without a good reason, the judge may dismiss your appeal. Count from the date on the notice so you have a margin of safety. Get the denial to our disability team, and we file the hearing request and start preparing your case.
Idiart Law Group in Portland
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