Binder and Binder -- what should I do?

Do not under any circumstances use Binder and Binder as a legal firm. Most of the claimants who are represented are done so by "Advocates", NOT Attornetys.

Binder and Binder is no longer owned by the "Binder Brothers". They sold off a majority to a Banker who is now operating the Corporation as a "Hedge Fund. A Hedge Fund is by definition - "A limited partnership of investors that use high risk methods to attain profits". In other words they are using your benefits to line their own pockets.

They are not attorneys and they use methods which can hurt your case with The Social Security Department. For example under the laws of disclosure they are required to submit all comments from treating physicians to the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). They don't. Binder has a practice of "Red Flagging" any comments which may have a negative impact on your case. This is illegal. Right now from what I have heard Congress is looking into their practices, and may overturn hundreds of cases they claim to have won over the years.

What does this mean to the people who have been receiving benefits from the Social Security Department? It means that any funds paid to clients represented by Binder and Binder will be subject to collection, as these payments were secured under false pretenses. The client is responsible for these reimbursements; which means all funds paid over the years are the responsibility of the claimants. The claimants in turn will have to pay the Federal Government, and then sue Binder and Binder for their filing false claims (GOOD LUCK!).

I wish I would have read these complaints before I hired them. I have a mental disability & was recently approved by SSA. Now I'm worried that they may have misrepresented my case somehow & I'll have to pay all of it back.

I too wish I had read this site before I just mailed off all of the paperwork to BINDER & BINDER in Hauppauge, NY.

I am very alamed at reading most of the postings here, especially from the Former Employees of BINDER & BINDER. I new from the paperwork I signed that my "representative" was not an attorney, because the paper clearly indicated that.

My concern is over what appears to be a severe lack of concern for the claimants by the employees/advocates who are your caseworkers.

How horrible of a job do these advocates and caseworkers do really? It looks like they work hard and win cases. Isn't that the goal ????

I would like to hear more from the former employees about how hard they worked and whether they won cases for the claimants, and also how expensive the IME is for the claimant? It sounds like it could cost
hundreds of dollars if not more, and like one poster indicated, I am unemployed with no income......

Thanks.

[Dkinglaw]

you can try a new lawyer if you have some doubts in your mind

This is to everyone who bothered to go to that bunch of sharks at Binder & Binder:

Why bother? If you have a problem with Social Security go to the SSI office in your local community. They are very helpful and they won't bite!

I, too, am extremely concerned at this point. My husband has been disabled for a few years now. We have our hearing coming up soon and I am getting no answers from Binder & Binder. Just found out today that I have not even talked to the person that will be representing us at the hearing. This means that the person who we are depending on to properly provide all our medical records and documentation that we have been gathering over the last couple of years hasn't even reviewed our case yet. I find that kind of ridiculous. I also feel like when I call our caseworker I am bothering him and hear a lot of sighing at my questions. The first caseworker we had seemed at least happy to help us out and answer any questions. The one we have now seems to not want to be bothered with us - except to tell us what HE needs from us. I wish I would have read all these reviews before we hired them. It may all work out, and I really hope it does, but now we may have to worry that after all this, they are being investigated and WE would have to go through all this again? Yikes...

I am very disheartened byt his whole experience, honestly. My husband worked over 40 years before his back became so bad that he can no longer do much at all. Every time we received the notice from Social Security - you know...the one that says if you work until "this" age, you will receive "this amount"...and IF YOU WERE TO BECOME DISABLED NOW, you would receive "this" amount. That doesn't seem completely true anymore. If not for the fact that I work, we would be out on the streets, since it has been a couple of years now that we have been going through this process. It doesn't seem very fair to those that are on their own. I'm just sayin... Just pray that it all works out...that's all we can do at this point.

[Gkern]

My experience with b &b was exactly as you say.i never talked to the same person twice, and I didn't meet the person sent to represent me until the hearing, which he was late for, so I didn't get to talk to hm then either. He asked maybe two questions, but mostly I was on my own and very nervous. I didn't win and everything the ADL said in his denial was false. I guess I was small potatoes to them because without a care they just dropped me. I can't work, I am in pain, I have to borrow. Just to get my mess and keep from losing my home. Is there anything I can do now? I am drowning and I don't deserve this.

Originally Posted by FormerBinderAtty I am a former Binder attorney, and I have no qualms in writing this because you can't get in trouble for telling the truth. In my experience, Binder is the last stop for the desperate. The process of applying for Social Security disability benefits is long and depressing, and a lot of people avoid calling a representative until the last minute. Got a hearing tomorrow? Binder will be there or be square. The earlier post does accurately portray the treatment of client files at the Binder office where I worked. It also accurately portrays the working conditions. If you're thinking of working for Binder, think of it more as a long-term temp job/learning experience. No one should plan to work there permanently, because there is no HR department. The benefits are a joke, with the punchline being, "There are none." If you're a Social Security disability claimant, do the little bit of legwork needed to find a local law firm to represent you. It may be a little more difficult, but you will get real representation by people who may actually care about you. You will be able to call your attorney. They will develop your medical evidence. REMEMBER: Binder and Binder is NOT a law firm. It is not a law firm because there are non-attorney representatives working there. If you sign up with Binder, you may be assigned a non-attorney representative OR an inexperienced attorney due to high turnover which results from the working conditions described above. You probably will not find out until the last minute who is representing you, possibly at your hearing. Binder does have good attorneys and non-attorneys there, but you are casting the dice as to who you get assigned. Asking won't help. Keep in mind that Binder sells itself as "experts" in Social Security disability claims. However, the reality is that many Social Security judges do not take Binder representatives seriously because so many have passed through their courtroom that at least one probably left a bad impression. Binder spends its money on advertising, not clients. Clients are simply the vehicle by which Binder rakes in the cash. "Don't love the client," is occasionally heard in the halls, though it's by no means an official motto for the company, which sells itself as being full of very nice people. Proceed with caution before signing any agreement with Binder. They will put up quite a fight before withdrawing as your representative, because that would mean forfeiting their fee. Although your file will sit on their floor, they will generate "work" entries to later justify to Social Security why they should be paid for their time--even if you protest. Finally, if you have a lot of children, be careful with Binder. Their fee agreement is written such that Social Security will pay them the full fee ($6K or up to 25% of past-due benefits) from the benefits of EACH ONE of your family members who receives payments. This includes you and each one of your children. If you find a local attorney, you may be able to speak to them about this concern. That attorney may be willing to draft a kinder, gentler fee agreement which reflects the reality that those benefits may be paid to 2 or 3 or 4 people... but it's all linked to the attorney's ability to prove ONE issue, and that is your disability. Good luck with your disability claim.

As a former employee I can say that this is the worst company I've ever experienced. ALL STAFF INCLUDING REPRESENTATIVES AND CASE MANAGERS IS UNDERPAID, YOU NEED TO KISS YOUR SUPERVISOR'S A*** TO WORK THERE, THEY DON'T DO BACKGROUND CHECK ON PEOPLE THEY HIRE, CASE WORKERS HAVE OVER 200 CASES TO HANDLE AND WORK ON WEEKENDS IN ORDER TO MEET DEADLINES, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO RESIGNED FROM THEIR POSITIONS IS RI-DI-CU-LOS!!! AND, FINALLY, DISCRIMINATION IS NOT A BIG DEAL THERE

What should you do? Find a local attorney or deal directly with your SSA office. Make an appointment, they get real busy.
I was encouraged to go to Binder and Binder. In my first attempt to contact them i waited for over an hour.
Then my case was given to someone "experienced" in handling denied applications. After that was denied, I had to quickly reapply myself ( they called me and said I had two days to get it in to the Disability Department). It was months before I heard anything from them.
I got changed to another handler, then another. One did not even call.
then I was placed with a lawyer who was experienced in trials.
I never even went to trial!
I believe my medical records .... when they were all put together... was the thing that won my case.
Binder and Binder took the allowed cap from my son and I . I am still in a leaky boat.
They truthfully did not seem to be much help. They quickly took 6k and said thank you.
You can get out of the 25.00 medical record fee somehow. I did. I called and requested them after the firm did. I got my records for free. You might want to look into that.

[QUOTE=Arguendo;235510]I cannot speak to this firm in particular (the one being discussed above), but I do have some experience with disability. Here is what I can share. Many reputable disability atttorneys will tell clients to go ahead and file on their own (free of charge). If you win, great. Keep all of your money with no legal fees. If you are denied, however, then you can get a lawyer involved at that point. If it comes to that, since you are obviously having some pretty serious doubts, why not go to a trusted source? All you would have to do is ask WLD for a referral...I wouldn't be surprised if they could point you toward a trustworthy lawyer in your area. Hope everything works out.[/QUOTE




The key word above is attorney which Binder and Binder is not. They charge the same fees but they are only advocates. If you have to pay the same fees why not hire a real firm.