OPM Disability Retirement: The Value of Something

Or, perhaps a more appropriate title might be, “The value of everything”.  There has been an explosion of discussions in recent times, especially during the pandemic, of the “value” of things — from human relationships to the careers and work we engage in.

The older generation has questioned the “work ethic” of the younger generation, who have in turn responded with a philosophical query:  “What is the point of all of this if we hate what we do?”

Massive turnovers have occurred, and a paradigm shift has resulted on the scale of Thomas Kuhn’s thesis, but applied to the general population, as equally significant as the 16th Century Copernican Revolution which turned the geocentric universe on its head.

Are young people just lazy, or do they have a point?  Is there value in all work, or should work be viewed as a means to a greater end?  And beyond that, how do we assess the value of anything, and is there a universal principle to guide us all?

One thing is for certain — and that is, that anything of value is that which is worth fighting for.  At the most primitive level, how hard we fight for something reveals the underlying value of that something.

Now, whether or not the ascription of value we have rendered to an object or principle is right or wrong, may differ in opinions; nevertheless, at its most basic construct, it is a beginning point to ponder.

For Federal and Postal employees who have filed, or are intending to file, for Federal Disability Retirement benefits under FERS, the value of securing a lifetime annuity will be determined by how hard you want to fight for it.  To that end, you will likely need the assistance of a FERS Lawyer who specializes in Federal Disability Retirement Law, as the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) does not easily issue an approval for a Disability Retirement application.

Contact today an OPM Disability Retirement Lawyer who practices exclusively in fighting on behalf of Federal and Postal employees to secure your right to Federal Disability Retirement benefits under the FERS system, and consider the value for that which you are fighting for.

Sincerely,

Robert R. McGill
Lawyer exclusively representing Federal and Postal employees to secure their Federal Disability Retirement benefits under FERS from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

 

Federal & Postal Worker Disability Retirement: The Patchwork Approach

It has come to be a sought-after item, often referred to as artistic and creative.  Like antiques which were once merely furniture used and other items daily utilized by others long ago, the patchwork quilt, blanket and other textile items put together from different fabrics and pieces from worn-out castaways — the remade product was an attempt to salvage the best of the worst, then put those sections together to make something new from the old.

Such an approach has also been applied in other disciplines and subjects — even in Federal or Postal Disability Retirement applications.  The Patchwork Approach is to put together whatever seems helpful, without any overriding conceptual umbrella or legal theory, approach, paradigm, etc., then sending it off to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management — somewhat akin to the “shotgun approach”.

But is that the best way to prepare an effective Federal Disability Retirement application under FERS?  Or, is the better approach to retain an attorney who specializes in Federal Disability Retirement Law and present a cogent, coherent and well-argued case, and to leave the patchwork approach for quaint Amish blankets?

Sincerely,

Robert R. McGill
Lawyer exclusively representing Federal and Postal employees to secure their Federal Disability Retirement benefits under FERS from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

 

FERS Disability Retirement from the OPM: The Image of Self

We all hold one.  Some are more aware, and the balance held often reflects a proportionate causation to the healthy attitude presented.  Too much focus, dominating navel-gazing, an unrealistic caricature; too high an opinion; too whatever — of self-esteem, etc., will often lead to self-consciousness which prevents growth, maturity and acquisition of wisdom which should envelop the ego as one becomes an adult.

There is, further, the image of the “outer” self in contradistinction to the “inner”.  Progenitors of Wittgenstein’s philosophy will argue that the “inner” self is mere bosh — of materialism, technology and robotics; that we are merely the composite of synapses and that the proverbial “ghost in the machine” doesn’t exist; we are merely the aggregation of a neural network of cells.  Regardless, we hold an image of the self, whatever that may be.

For Federal employees and U.S. Postal workers who suffer from a medical condition such that the medical condition has come to a critical juncture where you can no longer perform one or more of the essential elements of your Federal or Postal job, your self image is likely suffering, as well.  You are no longer that vibrant, special, talented, “golden boy” or “golden girl” that everyone turns to for leadership and advice. Instead, others see you as that “former” shadow of an existential entity in the present tense.

Contact a FERS Disability Lawyer who specializes in Federal Disability Retirement Law and consider moving forward so that you can focus upon getting your health back, as well as regaining the former image of “Self”.

Sincerely,

Robert R. McGill, Lawyer

 

Federal Disability Retirement: When Hiring a Lawyer

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 under FERS: The Advocate

It is the ability to see things that you may not; of knowing the laws that apply, the arguments which will work, the evidence to be submitted; these, and many more, make “the advocate” worth the price to be paid.  Certainly, expenses have to be considered, but as the old adage goes, “You get what you pay for”, and you need to be careful in considering what is included.

When you call the office which you are considering as your “advocate”, does someone call you back fairly soon after leaving a voicemail?  Do you get to speak to an actual lawyer — the one who should be working on your case, or do you — instead — only speak to a paralegal or someone who claims the title of, “Disability Specialist”?

What, in fact, is a “Disability Specialist”?  If not a lawyer, then no amount of “specialty” in the field makes a bit of difference.  Who will be working on your case?  Will your case be sloughed off to some clerk or “legal specialist”, or will you actually be getting what you think you are paying for — an attorney who specializes in Federal Disability Retirement Law?

For Federal employees and U.S. Postal workers who need to file for Federal Disability Retirement benefits from OPM, contact Robert R. McGill, Attorney at Law, and be assured that he himself, and not someone else, will be working on your case.  He will, indeed, be “The Advocate” who will fight on your behalf.

Sincerely,

Robert R. McGill, Esquire

 

Federal Disability Retirement: The Hunt for Nirvana

The initial question is: Is there even such a state?  That would, of course, preemptively undermine the very “hunt” for it, precisely because it would be an act of futility.  On the other hand, don’t most of us chase after chimeras of various sorts — whether of fame, wealth, lost loves or repressed daydreams?  So, why not hunt after the paradigm of paragon-like virtues — a state of release, of a transcendent experience devoid of self, suffering and selfish self-centeredness; or, as some might say, of a death-like state in living form.  Many would not even have a desire for such a state.

The amalgamation of we “think” is the state of Nirvana is probably quite different from the actual concept as attained or sought after by those who profess a belief in it.  It is the complete loss of self; of a state where one’s ego no longer exists, and with its disappearance, both sides of the human “coin” are also transcended: pleasure and pain.  One cannot go through life without its opposite and corollary: If you are capable of experiencing pleasure, then you are open to feeling pain, just as the person who can have happiness must by necessity tolerate sadness.  It is, unfortunately, part of being what it means to be “human”, and it is an act of futility if you try and expunge one while attempting to retain the other.  It is simply not possible.

For Federal employees and U.S. Postal workers who suffer from a medical condition such that the medical condition prevents the Federal or Postal employee from performing one or more of the essential elements of one’s Federal or Postal job, it is likely time to consult with a FERS Attorney who specializes in Federal Disability Retirement Law.  Preparing an effective Federal Disability Retirement application under FERS is not a hunt for Nirvana; no, not even close.  In fact, it is another bureaucratic morass which can be a pain in the proverbial behind, and is a long and complex administrative process which makes the hunt for Nirvana like a pleasurable vacation in comparison.

Consult with an experienced attorney who specializes and knows about Federal Disability Retirement Law, and leave the hunt for Nirvana to those who like to trek through the Himalayan mountains.

Sincerely,

Robert R. McGill, Esquire