I filed my own SSI and SSDI claim for benefits to the Social Security Administration ("SSA") in 2013. After I filed my
claim, I saw a commercial for appeals attorneys for SSDI named LaVan & Neidenberg, P.A. Since I had heard that all SSA
disability applications are always denied the first time, I contacted the law office and talked to someone who sits in a
cubicle and takes calls (when asked, did not answer whether she is a legal assistant, paralegal or attorney) and this was a
free consultation call. After hearing my disability issues, she put me on hold, came back on the phone and said I would be
eligible for benefits.
Next, Lavan & Neidenberg sent a strange man that they contract to drive around and get contracts signed to my house and I
tried to overlook the lengthy contract for services, and was told that he would send me a copy of the signed contract.
Before signing the contract, I asked on three occasions whether I would owe Lavan & Neidenberg a fee if I was successful in
getting benefits from my own work and application without LaVan & Neidenberg's help, and the strange man said "No, you will
not owe a fee." After I signed, I never received a copy of the contract for services from Lavan & Neidenberg.
When the SSA scheduled an evaluation with a physician for me, I called Lavan & Neidenberg and wanted to talk to a lawyer or at least a paralegal (you always get that bank of phone answerers), and they said that the law office never gets involved with the client or case until the second appeal. I confirmed with the phone answerer at Lavan & Neidenberg if I was successful in getting disability benefits without their assistance, if I would owe a fee. She initially said "Yes" and then when she put me on hold and asked a supervisor or someone with a brain, she came back on the phone and said "No, you will not owe Lavan & Neidenberg a fee if it does not go into appeal phase."
I won the SSI and SSDI benefits from the SSA on the first try (on the applications I filed). I was sent a check for a lump sum of two or three months of not working in SSI benefits from the SSA, and was told my SSDI benefits would start in July 2013. I wrote a letter to Lavan & Neidenberg and told them I no longer needed their services.
Some months later, I received a letter from the SSA saying that they inadvertently did not take out the attorneys' fees from the SSI check. I appealed the decision of the SSA and told them that I was told no fewer than four (4) times that I would not owe a fee if the matter did not go to appeal, and that I even tried to talk to the lawyers and they said, again, that they do not get involved with the client until the second appeal.
The SSA said my appeal was denied, and then I received a statement from Lavan & Neidenberg saying I owed them over $300 for their providing Supplemental Security Income benefit filing assistancce which caused the SSA to come back with a favorable award. Lavan & Neidenberg did nothing, but send the person to get my signature on the contract and who never send me a copy of the signed contract. That is it. They sent a form "Appearance of Counsel" to the SSA in Washington saying they represent me in the event of an appeal or hearing. That is all.
Please do not let these TV and internet law firms like LaVan & Neidenberg take advantage of you and get a fee for doing absolutely nothing. My initial call to ask about benefits was advertised as free, and they filed only one piece of paper with the SSA (an appearance notice) and I won the SSI and SSDI benfits from the filing I had done, alone, earlier than when LaVan & Neidenberg got involved.
They are thieves! Recently, a gentleman from LaVan & Neidenberg called to talk to me about Medicare benefits and that it was part of the services they provide to clients. I told the man that I was not a client and that LaVan & Neidenberg never did anything to assist me or to argue my case to the SSA and I am not their client. He laughed, and then said "Good-bye." Why did he laugh? Does he know that LaVan & Neidenberg pulls the scam on people who do not know the "system?" On Four Occasions I confirmed that I would not owe LaVan & Neidenberg a fee if I was successful in winning SSI and SSDI benefits on my own, and they confirmed that I would not owe a fee.
Now the Social Security wants to have me pay them to get LaVan & Neidenberg's fee. If I do not set up a payment schedule, the SSA will simply take the attorney fee out of one of my SSDI checks (which is not the program which LaVan & Neidenberg said they were owed a fee. LaVan & Neidenberg said they earned a fee for the SSI portion of my claim, not the SSI). They are scumbags, scammers and thieves and I do not know how they look at themselves in the mirror.
The SSA is no better to have turned down my appeal. There Canon of Professional Ethics for Attorneys clearly states that a lawyer or law firm shall not collect a fee from a person and provide no service in return.
LaVan and Neidenberg Reviews
I filed my own SSI and SSDI claim for benefits to the Social Security Administration ("SSA") in 2013. After I filed my
claim, I saw a commercial for appeals attorneys for SSDI named LaVan & Neidenberg, P.A. Since I had heard that all SSA
disability applications are always denied the first time, I contacted the law office and talked to someone who sits in a
cubicle and takes calls (when asked, did not answer whether she is a legal assistant, paralegal or attorney) and this was a
free consultation call. After hearing my disability issues, she put me on hold, came back on the phone and said I would be
eligible for benefits.
Next, Lavan & Neidenberg sent a strange man that they contract to drive around and get contracts signed to my house and I
tried to overlook the lengthy contract for services, and was told that he would send me a copy of the signed contract.
Before signing the contract, I asked on three occasions whether I would owe Lavan & Neidenberg a fee if I was successful in
getting benefits from my own work and application without LaVan & Neidenberg's help, and the strange man said "No, you will
not owe a fee." After I signed, I never received a copy of the contract for services from Lavan & Neidenberg.
When the SSA scheduled an evaluation with a physician for me, I called Lavan & Neidenberg and wanted to talk to a lawyer or at least a paralegal (you always get that bank of phone answerers), and they said that the law office never gets involved with the client or case until the second appeal. I confirmed with the phone answerer at Lavan & Neidenberg if I was successful in getting disability benefits without their assistance, if I would owe a fee. She initially said "Yes" and then when she put me on hold and asked a supervisor or someone with a brain, she came back on the phone and said "No, you will not owe Lavan & Neidenberg a fee if it does not go into appeal phase."
I won the SSI and SSDI benefits from the SSA on the first try (on the applications I filed). I was sent a check for a lump sum of two or three months of not working in SSI benefits from the SSA, and was told my SSDI benefits would start in July 2013. I wrote a letter to Lavan & Neidenberg and told them I no longer needed their services.
Some months later, I received a letter from the SSA saying that they inadvertently did not take out the attorneys' fees from the SSI check. I appealed the decision of the SSA and told them that I was told no fewer than four (4) times that I would not owe a fee if the matter did not go to appeal, and that I even tried to talk to the lawyers and they said, again, that they do not get involved with the client until the second appeal.
The SSA said my appeal was denied, and then I received a statement from Lavan & Neidenberg saying I owed them over $300 for their providing Supplemental Security Income benefit filing assistancce which caused the SSA to come back with a favorable award. Lavan & Neidenberg did nothing, but send the person to get my signature on the contract and who never send me a copy of the signed contract. That is it. They sent a form "Appearance of Counsel" to the SSA in Washington saying they represent me in the event of an appeal or hearing. That is all.
Please do not let these TV and internet law firms like LaVan & Neidenberg take advantage of you and get a fee for doing absolutely nothing. My initial call to ask about benefits was advertised as free, and they filed only one piece of paper with the SSA (an appearance notice) and I won the SSI and SSDI benfits from the filing I had done, alone, earlier than when LaVan & Neidenberg got involved.
They are thieves! Recently, a gentleman from LaVan & Neidenberg called to talk to me about Medicare benefits and that it was part of the services they provide to clients. I told the man that I was not a client and that LaVan & Neidenberg never did anything to assist me or to argue my case to the SSA and I am not their client. He laughed, and then said "Good-bye." Why did he laugh? Does he know that LaVan & Neidenberg pulls the scam on people who do not know the "system?" On Four Occasions I confirmed that I would not owe LaVan & Neidenberg a fee if I was successful in winning SSI and SSDI benefits on my own, and they confirmed that I would not owe a fee.
Now the Social Security wants to have me pay them to get LaVan & Neidenberg's fee. If I do not set up a payment schedule, the SSA will simply take the attorney fee out of one of my SSDI checks (which is not the program which LaVan & Neidenberg said they were owed a fee. LaVan & Neidenberg said they earned a fee for the SSI portion of my claim, not the SSI). They are scumbags, scammers and thieves and I do not know how they look at themselves in the mirror.
The SSA is no better to have turned down my appeal. There Canon of Professional Ethics for Attorneys clearly states that a lawyer or law firm shall not collect a fee from a person and provide no service in return.