Hiring A Lawyer

There is no requirement for you to hire a lawyer at any stage of of the CPP disability claims and appeals process; however, if you don't know the ins-and-outs of the CPP claims process, you are taking a big risk by going it alone.

Consulting a lawyer makes sense.The CPP disability claims process is full of traps and pitfalls for the unwary. Falling into these traps can result in unnecessary delay or denial of your claim. A lawyer, experienced with CPP disability claims, can help you fill out your forms properly, ask your doctors the right questions, and help you gather evidence to support your claim.

It is not always necessary to hire a lawyer to manage your entire CPP disability claim. It is sometimes more cost-effective for you to pay a lawyer for one-time consultations or to do specific things for you. For example, you can pay a lawyer to help you fill out your initial claim form, write letters on your behalf, assist you with preparing for your appeal hearing, or to represent you at your appeal hearing.

I can't overstate the importance of managing your claim properly from the start. It is important you build a strong case and gather the right evidence and medical opinions from the start. Again and again people come to me after their claim has been denied and they have unknowingly created big problems for their case, such as getting poorly written medical opinions or missing important deadlines.

When choosing a lawyer, make sure he or she has experience with CPP claims. Ask the lawyer if they can provide the types of services I have outlined above. Ask about the various fee arrangements. For example, I am aware of several types of fee arrangements:

1. Flat rate (fee-for-service) - this is a pre-determined cost for doing a specific service (e.g., one-time consultations, letter writing, legal opinion letters, etc). The client will pay the bill for services after they are rendered.
2. Contingency Fee (fee-for-service) - this is a fee arrangement where the lawyer charges a fee for doing services (usually at an hourly rate), but the client only has to pay the final bill if the lawyer is successful at getting the client's CPP benefits restored.
3. Contingency Fee (% of award) - this is a fee arrangement where the client will only pay legal fees if the lawyer is successful in getting the client a lump-sum award. The lawyer's fee is usually a percentage of the lump-sum award. This type of arrangement is common is situations where the client is potentially owed a large sum of back-dated benefits.