Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix Social Security disability lawyer
If a medical condition keeps you from working, federal disability benefits exist for exactly your situation — and the process of getting them is harder than it should be. This firm has represented Phoenix claimants through that process since 1992, and it is all we do.
A Phoenix firm inside the hearing building itself
Our office at 3737 N. 7th Street, Suite 260 sits inside the same building where Phoenix disability hearings are held. We have walked that hallway more times than we can count, and we know the local landscape the way only a firm that has worked it for three decades can: in fiscal year 2025, Arizona judges approved 61.0 percent of the hearings they decided, against 58.3 percent nationally — but Phoenix North ran 54.6 percent and Phoenix Downtown 56.3 percent, which is why knowing the numbers stage by stage matters when we advise you on yours.
Most hearings are now held by phone or video, so we also represent claimants across Arizona — Tucson’s hearing office approved 70.7 percent in the same year — and in California.
Who handles your case
Stephanie Lake founded the firm in 1992 and has practiced Social Security law exclusively since. She is Board Certified in Social Security Disability Law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, a graduate of the University of Michigan Law School, a member of the National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives since 1992, and a past president of the Social Security Advocates of Phoenix. She represents clients in English and Spanish.
What it costs
Nothing unless you win. The fee is the one federal law sets for every representative: 25 percent of your past-due benefits, capped at $9,200, paid out of the back pay when you are approved — never out of your pocket, and never from your ongoing monthly checks. The details are in how much a disability lawyer costs.
What happens when you call
- Tell us about your claim — at (602) 200-9090 or through the free case review form. About fifteen minutes.
- We review it first. Someone reads what you sent before anyone calls back, so the call starts where your case actually is.
- We tell you either way. If we can help, we say what happens next. If we cannot, we say that too, and point you to someone who can.
What we handle — and what we don’t
We handle SSDI claims, SSI claims, and appeals and hearings at every stage, from first application through the hearing before a judge. The one thing we do not take is disability overpayment cases — where Social Security says it paid too much and wants it back. Anything else, call: if your situation belongs in a different area of law, we will tell you in the first conversation and point you to someone we trust with it.
Clients also ask
How much does a disability lawyer cost in Phoenix?
Nothing unless you win. The fee is set by federal law: 25 percent of your past-due benefits, capped at $9,200, paid out of the back pay Social Security owes you when you are approved. No up-front cost, no bill if the case is lost.
Do I need a lawyer to apply for Social Security disability?
No — you can file the application yourself, and we tell people that plainly. Where representation matters most is after a denial, because the appeal stages are decided on the medical record, and building that record is the real work of a disability case.
Do you take disability cases outside Phoenix?
Yes. The office is in Phoenix, but we represent claimants across Arizona — Tucson included — and in California, and most Social Security hearings are now held by phone or video, so where you live rarely limits who can represent you.