I’ve been very busy with work and with trying to enjoy my summer, so I’ve been a little lax in blogging about some recent developments related to disability law. One of them that affects my clients (and me) is that effective June 22, 2009, the maximum representative fee in a winning case was increased from $5,300 to $6,000. This increase was authorized by the Social Security Commissioner. It has been about five years since the last time the fees payable to representatives such as myself have been increased. Most attorneys I know use fee agreements with escalator clauses in them, allowing the maximum fee to be increased if the law changes. These clauses are being honored by Social Security. If action is taken on the fee agreement after June 22, 2009, the new fee cap should be applied.
There is also legislation pending in Congress (the bill is H.R. 1093) which if approved would increase the fee cap to $6264.50 and allow for annual cost-of-living increases. I don’t know the prospects of this legislation, but will certainly post more if and when action is taken on it.
