Perhaps the field of play has already been determined. It is the place you have always met and played; the tennis courts just down the road; the neighborhood gym; the backyard where you have always played catch with your son or daughter; and in professional sports, the rotation which does away with home field advantage by going back and forth between the cities of sporting events.
The concept encapsulating the “field of play” also is often applied in other contexts, as well — as in which office a meeting will take place; where will people sit during negotiations; in what forum will diplomats from different countries come together, etc. Do you “play” on “their” field of play, or on your own? Who determines which issues should be “put in play”, and which rules of “the game” apply?
For Federal employees and U.S. Postal workers who have filed for Federal Disability Retirement benefits through the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, it is important at the outset that you determine which field of play you will be engaging — OPM’s, or your own? Often, OPM will move to draw you into their field of play — focusing upon certain issues that they believe you must address.
When that moment comes, it is important for you to have an attorney who narrows each issue, and turns the proverbial tables around and forces OPM to come onto your field, address your issues, and play by the rules which actually govern Federal Disability Retirement Law. Consult with a Federal Disability Retirement Lawyer and make sure that you have the home field advantage, and that the field of play is on the legal field of battle which you have chosen.
Sincerely,
Robert R. McGill, Esquire
OPM Disability Retirement, Et Cetera… 