Question

Reliance Standard recommended Advocator, do I have to pay their fee out of pocket?

Asked on August 26th 2015 by Mary X.
I had a really bad accident and got short and longterm disability from Reliance without many problems. Maybe because I work for a real big company. When I got read to sign up for Soc Secuirty disability, Reliance recommended Advocators. Advocators promised me in their signup letter they’d get their 25% fee from Matrix and I wouldn’t have to pay. A friend later looked at my fees **agreements** with Matrix and Advocator that I actually signed. She said there was no agreement from Matrix it would pay Advocator. And documents I signed said that Advocator was going to get the money from Social Security and not Matrix anyway. So I might end up paying advocator out of my own pocket. My friend thinks maybe if social security disability is rejected then Reliance will have a better reason to stop pay me what they are paying now. Is my friend just being paranoid? I don’t see anyone above having these problems. But reading all the other problems I’m starting to have bad feelings about how long it is taking to get my Soc security disability application finished by Advocator. Do I have a problem? If I do, are their any options now that I’ve signed up with advocator? Thanks a lot.

Answer

Answered on August 27th 2015 by Attorney Stephen Jessup

Mary, the SSA always determines and pays the fee to be paid to an attorney or advocator group. You will not have to pay for their services out of pocket. Furthermore, you do have the right to work with any Social Security attorney you wish – you do not have to use the advocator group.