Filing or appealing a disability claim in Boise?
Social Security disability is a system that turns down most people the first time, and the appeal is where a lawyer earns their fee. Disability lawyers work on contingency — you pay only if you win, out of your back pay — so the real question is experience and follow-through. Below are the Boise-area firms that show up most consistently across independent rating services for SSDI and SSI claims.
Social Security disability lawyers don't charge an up-front fee. They work on contingency capped by federal law: 25% of your past-due benefits (back pay), up to a cap the SSA sets, which is about $9,200 as of 2025. If you don't win, you owe no attorney fee, just possible small costs like medical-record charges. That fee structure is the same at every firm, so compare on experience, hearing track record, and how reachable the team is.
Most claims are denied at the application and reconsideration stages and won at the hearing before an administrative law judge. A lawyer who knows the Idaho hearing office, develops your medical evidence, and prepares you to testify makes a real difference. The firms below focus on disability or carry it as a core practice.
How we picked these firms: We cross-referenced Super Lawyers, Avvo, Justia and Expertise.com, then looked for peer recognition, published results, and consistent client review patterns. A firm had to appear across at least two independent sources to make the list. We do not accept payment for placement and we do not write sponsored reviews. Where a firm's size or founding year isn't publicly confirmed, we leave it out rather than guess. More on our methodology →
Practice focus: SSDI, SSI, disability appeals
Founding attorney Jake Bernhardt has handled Social Security disability cases for more than two decades, with a practice focused entirely on disability and more than 1,000 successful claims across the western states. The firm accepts in-person and phone consultations.
Practice focus: SSDI, SSI, workers' compensation
A Boise firm that has practiced Social Security disability law for about 25 years. Attorneys Taylor Mossman-Fletcher, Barbara Harper, and Britney Ocampo are sustaining members of NOSSCR, and the firm reports high appellate remand rates on Idaho federal-court appeals.
Practice focus: SSDI, SSI applications and appeals
Founder Ken Kimball is a NOSSCR member with more than 13 years of Social Security disability experience. The firm helps with initial applications, work-history and function reports, medical-record review, and representation at administrative hearings.
Practice focus: SSDI, SSI, disability appeals
The firm's disability practice is led by Brad Parkinson, who has more than 20 years handling disability claims and appeals. The legal team carries over 120 years of collective experience and serves Boise and southern Idaho.
Practice focus: SSDI, SSI claims and appeals
A regional disability firm that reports winning more than 20,000 SSI and SSDI cases over roughly 30 years across the West, representing clients in Boise, Twin Falls, Pocatello, and Idaho Falls.
Practice focus: Social Security disability
A Boise Social Security disability attorney listed across Avvo, Justia, and the Cornell LII directory, handling applications and appeals for area claimants.
Practice focus: Social Security disability, workers' comp
A Boise attorney handling Social Security disability claims alongside workers' compensation and related matters, listed on independent attorney directories for the area.
Tell us about your situation and we'll help you reach vetted disability attorneys in Boise. Free, confidential, no obligation.
Request Free Consultation →You apply through the Social Security Administration, online or at the local Boise field office. Most applications are denied, and you then ask for reconsideration — which is also denied for most people. The stage that matters is the hearing before an administrative law judge, where your disability lawyer presents medical evidence, questions any vocational expert, and helps you testify about how your condition limits your ability to work.
The whole process is slow — often a year or more from application to hearing — because of backlogs, not because of your lawyer. What a good firm controls is the quality of your file: gathering the right medical records, getting clear opinions from your doctors, and framing your work history correctly. SSDI requires a recent work record; SSI is needs-based for people who haven't worked enough or have limited income and resources.
Every disability lawyer charges the same way: a federal contingency fee of 25% of your past-due benefits, capped by the SSA (about $9,200 as of 2025), and nothing if you don't win. You may owe small out-of-pocket costs for medical records. Because the fee structure is fixed, price is not how you choose — experience, hearing-level track record, and responsiveness are. Ask how many hearings the lawyer handles each year and who will actually represent you at yours.
Look for a firm that focuses on disability or carries it as a core practice, not an occasional add-on. Ask whether the attorney — not just a non-lawyer representative — will handle your hearing, how they'll develop your medical evidence, and how quickly they return calls, because these cases drag on and you'll have questions. Membership in NOSSCR is a useful signal. Above all, choose someone who explains the process plainly and sets honest expectations about timing.
Since the fee is set by law and identical everywhere, the consultation is about experience and fit. Ask: Do you focus on Social Security disability, or is it a side practice? How many hearings do you handle each year? Will you — an attorney — represent me at my hearing, or a non-lawyer rep? How will you develop my medical evidence, and what do you need from me? How often will I hear from you, given how long this takes? Are you a NOSSCR member? Honest answers about the timeline and your odds matter more than a confident promise; no one can guarantee an approval.
Claimants hurt their own cases in avoidable ways. Don't stop seeing your doctors — gaps in treatment are read as evidence you've improved, even when you haven't. Don't miss SSA deadlines; a late appeal can force you to start over. Keep working medical records and a simple log of how your condition limits daily activities. Be careful with social media that contradicts your limitations. And don't give up after the first denial — most claims are denied early and won at the hearing, which is exactly where a lawyer helps most. Apply, appeal on time, and keep your medical file current.
Disability lawyers work on contingency set by federal law: 25% of your back pay, capped by the SSA at about $9,200 as of 2025. You pay no attorney fee if you don't win, just possible small record costs.
Most claims are denied at the first two stages — often for insufficient medical evidence or because the file doesn't clearly show you can't work. A lawyer's main job is strengthening that evidence for the hearing.
It varies, but it often takes a year or more from application to a hearing decision because of SSA backlogs. Your lawyer can't speed the agency, only keep your file complete and on track.
SSDI is based on your work history and Social Security taxes paid. SSI is needs-based for people with limited income and resources who haven't worked enough to qualify for SSDI.
You can apply on your own, but most people benefit from representation by the hearing stage, where the odds improve and the medical and vocational evidence matters most.
Yes. Disability firms almost always offer a free consultation and only get paid if you win benefits.
Hearings for Boise-area claimants are handled through the Social Security hearing office serving Idaho, and many are now held by phone or video. Your lawyer will prepare you for the format you're assigned.
Limited work may be allowed, but earning above the SSA's monthly limit (substantial gainful activity) can disqualify you. Tell your lawyer about any work, because it directly affects your claim.
One last thing. Choosing a lawyer is personal. Read recent reviews, then talk to two or three firms before you decide. Ask each how many cases like yours they have handled in the last three years — the answer tells you a lot. — The LawFirmSquare team