Social Security Disability Law--Board Certified Specialist; Veteran's Law--NOVA Member; Free Consult
Three-lawyer practice devoted to disability law, including WNC's only Certified Specialist in Social Security to practice exclusively in Social Security Law; WNC's only Veteran's Benefits lawyer who is registered with the U.S. Court of Veteran's Appeals; WNC's longest-practicing disability attorney (since 1978), of counsel to the firm. We also have a unique team to help you: a former manager from SSA; a paralegal with 14 years of experience; in-office vocational services. We will meet with you for no charge whether you have been denied or even before you have applied for benefits.
Keywords: social security, disability, veterans, attorney, lawyer, vocational, benefits, applied
Interview Q&A
How long have you been in business?
Two of the lawyers began in legal services organizations, one in 1978 and one in 1997. They started the firm in 2006, and the third attorney joined the firm in 2007.
What is your primary product or service?
Disability law. We help people when they are having trouble working and are eligible for assistance, but either have been denied or want to hire us in advance of applying. We help veterans with their service-connected claims.
How did you first become interested in your line of business? (if owner) - What is your background? (If owner or store manager)
I can't speak for everyone, but we came to this work by varied paths--personal or family experience, having a desire to serve people in need, following in a parent's footsteps.... I will say we are all devoted to the work of having our client's claims approved and easing the burden of this process on our clients while we're getting there.
How do you differentiate yourself from other businesses in your category and area?
Several differences are mentioned already and I invite you to visit the NC State Bar website to learn what it took to become a Specialist in Social Security Law. Other things you might want to know are that we handle appeals into federal court. We practice there because we believe in our cases and don't give up easily; this also may contribute to our high approval rate because we are known to follow through. In our office, an attorney opens the mail, gathers faxes, receives email, and you'll often hear an attorney answering the phones, and we know of no other practice doing that. We handle Medicaid claims for free and have appealed several into Superior Court which is unique. We are similar to many other local firms in that we generally meet in person just three times prior to a hearing (some meet fewer times), but we have highly-trained staff and hands-on management to make sure your questions are professionally answered. Even if you don't hire us, do hire someone local who is familiar with the local resources, offices, and judges.
How many locations do you have and do you have plans to expand?
Our main office is in Asheville, although we have office space in Fletcher (our busiest satellite office), Waynesville, and Spruce Pine, but we find that it is just as convenient to work around the schedules of our clients who need to come to Asheville anyway. We have no plans to expand outside of WNC.
Provide detailed directions to your location
We are on South French Broad Ave., just four houses down from the Asheville Middle School. There is a sign out front and we use our back door as an entry because there are no steps there.
What type of payments do you accept?
In a typical case, 20-25% percent of any award is withheld for our fee. There are other cases where we are paid a flat fee or by the hour, but we can discuss these with you.
Which areas do you service?
Before SSA, we handle cases for those whose "District Office" is Asheville--that is basically all of WNC, from Morganton to the west. Our veterans clients are mostly from WNC, but a few flatlanders have found us.
Who owns your company or runs daily operations?
We are a professional association. Daily operations are handled by a managing attorney who receives wonderful support.
What are your hours of operation?
M-F, 9-12 and 1-5.
Contact Chitwood and Fairbairn, PA:
