When hiring a lawyer or a law firm, what are your expectations and who are you hiring? Are you hiring an “Intake Officer” (whatever they are); a paralegal; a legal assistant; a “Disability Specialist” (whatever THEY are) — or are you hiring a lawyer? That is, a person who holds the law degree, who is entitled to practice law, and who is the knowledgeable “expert” in the field of Federal Disability Retirement Law?
How can you tell? Do you know you are hiring a lawyer merely because someone tells you so? Or, are these the indicators: When you make a call, the lawyer answers your call. When you leave a message, the lawyer calls you back. When you send an email, the lawyer responds.
Or: You always only speak to an “assistant”, and never to the lawyer; the “Disability Specialist” (again, what is a “Disability Specialist” — and what does it mean to be a “specialist”, especially if you aren’t a lawyer?) is always the one who seems to be handling your case; and what happens if your case get denied at the Initial Stage of the Federal Disability Retirement process, and then again at the Reconsideration Stage of the process — who will see you through at the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board?
When hiring a lawyer or a law firm, make sure that you are actually getting what you are paying for: An actual FERS Disability Retirement Lawyer who will guide you with his experience, wisdom and legal acumen.
Sincerely,
Robert R. McGill, Esquire
OPM Disability Retirement, Et Cetera… 