If you can no longer work and Social Security said no, you are not out of options. These verified Honolulu firms handle SSDI, SSI, VA, and long-term disability claims, most on contingency, so you pay nothing unless you win.
Updated February 23, 202612 min readEditorially independent
Losing the ability to work is frightening, and the Social Security system does not make it easier. Most first-time disability claims in Hawaii are denied, and the appeal can stretch past a year. A good Honolulu disability lawyer changes those odds: they gather the medical proof, meet every deadline, and stand with you at the hearing where most claims are actually won.
Here is the part that surprises people: a Social Security disability lawyer costs you nothing up front, and the fee is capped by federal law. An attorney can charge no more than 25% of your back pay or $7,200, whichever is less, and only if you win. The money comes out of past-due benefits, so you never write a check from your own pocket. That is the same deal at every honest SSDI firm, which means you can choose on experience and responsiveness, not price.
Honolulu has a focused disability bar, and the list below covers more than one kind of claim. Some firms handle Social Security and SSI; others focus on private long-term disability under ERISA, or on VA benefits, which matters in a state with a large military and veteran population. Two things are distinctly local: the Social Security hearing office sits on Ala Moana Boulevard, and many hearings are now held by phone or video, so neighbor-island claimants often do not have to fly to Oahu. Every firm here is confirmed through at least two independent sources, including Super Lawyers, Avvo, Justia, FindLaw, Martindale-Hubbell, Google and Yelp review profiles, or its own verified Honolulu practice.
How we picked these 10: We cross-referenced legal directories (Super Lawyers, Avvo, Justia, FindLaw, Martindale-Hubbell), public Google and Yelp review profiles, and each firm's own published practice pages. Every entry below appeared in at least two independent sources and has a verifiable practice serving Honolulu disability claimants. We include Social Security, VA, and long-term disability firms because readers arrive with different kinds of claims. We take no payment for placement. More on our methodology →
1
Danielle Beaver, Attorney At Law
735 Bishop St, Ste 432, Honolulu(808) 537-9181SSDI & SSI only
Practice focus: Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI), as the firm's sole focus.
Danielle Beaver has built her downtown Honolulu practice around one thing: Social Security disability. She opened the firm in 2011 after law school at Northeastern, and she meets clients at the Bishop Street office and across all the islands. A single-focus SSDI practice means she lives in the medical-vocational rules and the local hearing process day in and day out, which is exactly what you want when your claim has already been denied.
The reviews back this up. Her work is rated on Yelp, Avvo, and Super Lawyers, and clients repeatedly describe an attorney who takes the time to listen and calm their fears. She works on the standard federal contingency, so you pay nothing unless benefits come through.
Why they made the list: A dedicated, locally rooted SSDI and SSI practice with more than a decade of Honolulu hearing experience and consistently strong client reviews.
Fee structure
Contingency only, capped by federal law at 25% of back pay or $7,200, whichever is less. No fee unless you win.
1188 Bishop St, HonoluluDiane C. HaarSSDI / SSI / VA
Practice focus: Social Security Disability, SSI, and Veterans (VA) disability benefits, including denied claims taken to an ALJ hearing.
Founding attorney Diane C. Haar runs a full-service disability practice on Bishop Street that covers Honolulu, the neighbor islands, the Pacific territories, and the Philippines. The firm handles Social Security, SSI, and VA disability, and it represents people whose claims have been denied at the hearing stage. Haar is a member of the National Organization of Social Security Claimants' Representatives, the main professional group for this work.
The firm's public ratings are among the strongest in the state: 5.0 on Google across more than 160 reviews, 5.0 on Avvo, and 5.0 on Yelp. It does not get paid unless it wins, and it caps its fee at 25% or less of your back pay.
Why they made the list: A full-service Honolulu disability firm spanning Social Security and VA claims, with NOSSCR membership and an unusually deep record of 5-star client reviews.
Fee structure
Contingency: 25% or less of back pay (25% of back pay or $7,200, whichever is less on SSDI). No win, no fee.
Honolulu County (Kailua)40+ years in practiceSSDI focus
Practice focus: Social Security disability claims and appeals for clients across Honolulu County and Oahu.
Marylene Chun has practiced law in Hawaii for more than four decades, with a long concentration in Social Security disability. That kind of tenure is rare in this practice area, and it means she has seen the hearing process evolve through many changes in the rules. For a claimant who wants a seasoned, individual attorney rather than a high-volume operation, she is a serious local option listed in the Justia directory and other legal listings.
Because this is a smaller, established practice, ask at intake how she will staff and schedule your case so you know what to expect.
Why they made the list: More than 40 years of Hawaii practice with a long Social Security disability concentration, offering a personal, deeply experienced approach.
Fee structure
SSDI representation follows the federal contingency cap (25% of back pay or $7,200, whichever is less).
Office near Ala Moana SSA hearing siteDisability onlyHawaii & nationwide
Practice focus: A disability-only firm representing SSDI and SSI claimants, with a Hawaii office that serves Honolulu and the islands.
LaPorte Law Firm does nothing but Social Security disability, and it keeps a Hawaii office located near the Honolulu Social Security hearing office on Ala Moana Boulevard. That single-focus, multi-decade SSDI experience translates into a high volume of hearings and a process built specifically for disability claims. The firm represents clients at every stage, from the initial application through the appeal.
As with any multi-office practice, ask who will prepare your file and appear at your Honolulu hearing so you know your point of contact.
Why they made the list: A disability-only firm with a Honolulu-area office steps from the SSA hearing site and decades of dedicated SSDI experience.
Fee structure
Contingency only, at the federal SSDI cap (25% of back pay or $7,200, whichever is less).
Practice focus: Private long-term disability insurance and ERISA claims, separate from Social Security, for Honolulu professionals whose insurer denied benefits.
If your disability claim is against a private long-term disability insurer, not Social Security, that is a different fight governed by a federal law called ERISA, and it has its own strict deadlines. Dabdoub Law Firm focuses exclusively on disability insurance and ERISA claims and serves clients in Honolulu. The firm reports a 99% success rate and says it has recovered more than $500 million for clients, figures it publishes itself.
This is the firm to look at when an employer or private policy denied your long-term disability benefits, rather than when Social Security said no. Confirm fee terms at intake, since ERISA cases are not on the Social Security fee schedule.
Why they made the list: A disability-insurance and ERISA specialist for Honolulu professionals fighting a denied private long-term disability claim, a different system from Social Security.
Fee structure
Contingency on long-term disability claims; ERISA cases are not on the SSA schedule, so confirm terms at intake.
Practice focus: Long-term disability (ERISA) and VA disability appeals, handled nationwide including for Hawaii claimants.
Tucker Disability Law handles two of the trickier corners of this field, private long-term disability under ERISA and veterans disability appeals, for clients across the country, Hawaii included. If your claim is a denied insurance policy or a VA rating dispute rather than a Social Security application, a firm built for those systems is worth a call.
Because this is a nationwide practice rather than a Honolulu storefront, ask how a Hawaii case is staffed and how hearings or conferences are handled across the time difference.
Why they made the list: A focused long-term-disability and VA-appeals practice serving Hawaii claimants whose claim sits outside the Social Security system.
Fee structure
Contingency under the rules for ERISA and VA matters; confirm at intake.
Practice focus: VA disability benefits and appeals for Honolulu-area veterans, including denied claims and increased-rating requests.
Hawaii has a large military and veteran population, and a VA disability claim runs on its own ratings, forms, and appeals, completely separate from Social Security. CCK Law focuses on veterans benefits and serves Honolulu-area vets, with decades of experience moving denied claims and rating disputes through the VA system.
If your claim is with the VA, this is the kind of practice to look at rather than a general SSDI firm. As with other national practices, ask who will handle your file and how the Hawaii time difference affects scheduling.
Why they made the list: A veterans-only disability practice for Honolulu's large military community, covering the VA system that runs separately from Social Security.
Fee structure
Contingency on VA appeals as allowed by federal law; no upfront fee. Confirm terms at intake.
Practice focus: ERISA and long-term disability insurance claims for Hawaii residents whose disability benefits were denied or cut off.
Newfield Law Group concentrates on ERISA, the federal law that governs most employer-provided long-term disability policies. ERISA sets out detailed rules and short deadlines for filing appeals, and a misstep early can cost you the claim. The firm serves Hawaii residents dealing with denied or terminated long-term disability benefits.
This is again a private-insurance matter rather than a Social Security claim. If your employer's disability plan denied you, a firm that lives in the ERISA rules can protect your appeal rights.
Why they made the list: An ERISA-focused firm for Hawaii residents fighting a denied employer or private long-term disability policy, where deadlines are unforgiving.
Fee structure
Contingency on long-term disability claims; ERISA terms confirmed at intake.
Serves HawaiiIndividual & group disabilityInsurance claims
Practice focus: Individual and group long-term disability insurance claims and bad-faith denials for Hawaii policyholders.
DarrasLaw is a long-running disability-insurance practice that handles individual and group long-term disability claims, including denials its attorneys consider made in bad faith. The firm takes Hawaii clients whose private or employer disability coverage was refused.
Like the other insurance-focused firms here, this is the route for a denied policy rather than a Social Security application. Ask at intake whether your policy is governed by ERISA or state law, because that changes your options.
Why they made the list: An established disability-insurance firm for Hawaii policyholders whose individual or group long-term disability claim was denied.
Fee structure
Contingency on disability-insurance claims; confirm terms at intake.
Practice focus: Hawaii's federally designated protection-and-advocacy nonprofit, providing free help on disability discrimination, access, and rights issues.
The Hawaii Disability Rights Center is not a fee-charging firm. It is the state's federally designated protection-and-advocacy organization, established in 1977, and its services are always free. It does not file routine SSDI applications, but its advocates and attorneys take on disability discrimination in housing, employment, education, and public benefits, plus access and abuse cases, statewide and across the neighbor islands.
If your problem is being denied accommodations, mistreated, or shut out because of a disability, start here before you pay anyone. They can also point you toward the right resource for a benefits claim.
Why they made the list: A free, statewide nonprofit for disability-rights, discrimination, and access problems, a different tool than a benefits-claim firm.
Tell us what happened, and we'll connect you with one of these Honolulu disability attorneys for a free, no-obligation consultation.
How to choose between them in Honolulu
Match the firm to your kind of claim. SSDI and SSI go through Social Security; VA disability and private long-term disability (ERISA) are separate systems with their own rules. Pick a firm that handles your specific claim, and ask directly at intake.
Favor firms that work the appeal. Most Honolulu Social Security claims are denied at first and won at the hearing. A firm that regularly appears before administrative law judges and prepares medical evidence is worth far more than one that only files paperwork.
The SSDI fee is fixed, so judge on service. Every Social Security disability lawyer charges the same federal-capped contingency, 25% of back pay up to $7,200. Since price is identical, choose on experience, communication, and whether they return your calls.
Ask about the neighbor islands. If you live on Maui, Kauai, or the Big Island, ask how the firm handles records, phone or video hearings, and travel. A practice used to serving all the islands will have a system for it.
Get an honest read early. A candid lawyer will tell you whether your conditions and work history actually support a claim before you invest a year. You want that straight answer, not a sales pitch.
Judge how they treat you. Disability cases are personal and long. Choose a firm that listens, explains each step, and treats you as a person rather than a case number.
What a disability lawyer typically costs in Honolulu
This is the rare area of law where the fee is set by the federal government, not the firm. Here is how the money actually works:
Free consultation: Nearly every disability firm reviews your situation at no charge. Bring your denial letters and a list of your conditions and doctors.
Contingency, capped by law: For SSDI and SSI, the attorney fee is 25% of your past-due benefits or $7,200, whichever is less. Not a penny more, no matter how hard the case.
Paid only if you win: No recovery, no fee. The fee is withheld by Social Security from your back pay and paid to the lawyer directly, so you never send a bill yourself.
Small case costs: You may owe modest out-of-pocket costs, like charges for copies of medical records, usually well under a few hundred dollars. Ask the firm to spell these out in writing.
Long-term and VA claims differ: Private long-term disability (ERISA) and VA benefits run on their own fee rules. Confirm the structure at intake with a firm that handles that specific type of claim.
The real cost is delay: Missing the 60-day deadline to appeal a denial can sink an otherwise winnable claim. The risk here is the calendar, not the legal fee.
Be wary of anyone who asks for money up front to handle a Social Security disability claim, or who promises a specific approval. No honest disability lawyer does either.
How long an Hawaii disability claim takes
Every case is different, but a typical Honolulu Social Security claim moves through these stages:
Initial application: A few weeks to file, then roughly three to six months for a decision. Most first claims are denied, which is normal, not a verdict on your case.
Reconsideration: If denied, you generally have 60 days to ask for reconsideration. This review takes a few more months and is often denied again.
Hearing request: After a second denial, you request a hearing before an administrative law judge. Because of the backlog, the wait for a hearing can be a year or more.
The hearing: Often held by phone or video for Honolulu and neighbor-island claimants, so you usually will not travel. Your lawyer presents medical evidence and questions the vocational expert. This stage is where many claims are won.
Decision: A written decision usually arrives within a few weeks to a couple of months after the hearing.
Back pay: If approved, Social Security pays past-due benefits from your established onset date, and the attorney fee is withheld from that amount.
Red flags to watch for when hiring a disability lawyer in Honolulu
Upfront fees. Social Security disability work is contingency only. If a firm asks for money before you win, walk away.
Guaranteed approvals. No one can promise Social Security will approve you. A guarantee is a sales tactic, not a legal opinion.
The vanishing lawyer. You meet someone at intake, then a name you never hear again handles the file. Ask in writing who will prepare your case and appear at your hearing.
No interest in your records. Your medical evidence is the case. A firm that does not ask detailed questions about your conditions, doctors, and treatment is not doing the work.
Vague answers about deadlines. A good firm knows your appeal deadline cold and protects it. Dodging that question is a warning sign.
10 questions to ask in your free consultation
Most of the firms on this list offer a free initial call. Use it. Bring a written list and write down the answers, then compare across two or three firms before you sign anything.
Who, specifically, will handle my claim and appear at my hearing? Get a name, not just the firm.
How many Social Security disability hearings have you handled in the last three years? You want a number, not a brochure line.
Is my claim SSDI, SSI, or both, and how does that change my case? A good lawyer can tell you quickly.
What is my appeal deadline, and is it at risk right now? This is the single most important date in your case.
What medical evidence is my claim missing? The honest answer tells you whether they have read your file.
What is the realistic range of outcomes? A good lawyer gives a range; a weak one promises approval.
How long do you expect this to take? An honest estimate, with the assumptions stated.
What small costs will I owe, and when? Records and copies add up; ask now.
How often will I hear from you? Set the communication cadence up front.
What can I do to help my own case? The best lawyers will give you homework.
Talk to a vetted disability attorney in Honolulu
Tell us about your situation. We'll match you with one of these firms or a similar one. Free, confidential, no obligation.
Frequently asked questions about disability lawyers in Honolulu
Is hiring a disability lawyer in Honolulu worth the cost?
For most people, yes. Social Security disability lawyers work on contingency and cannot charge more than 25% of your back pay, capped at $7,200, and you pay nothing if you lose. Represented claimants are statistically more likely to win at a hearing. The fee comes out of past-due benefits, so you never write a check up front.
What is the difference between SSDI and SSI?
SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) is for people who worked and paid into Social Security long enough to be insured. SSI (Supplemental Security Income) is need-based for people with very limited income and resources. Many Honolulu claimants qualify for one, and some for both. A lawyer can tell you which fits your situation.
How much does an SSDI lawyer in Honolulu cost?
By federal law the fee is contingency only: 25% of your back pay or $7,200, whichever is less. There is no hourly bill and no upfront charge. You may owe small case costs, like fees for medical records, but the attorney fee itself comes straight out of your past-due benefits after you win.
How long does a Hawaii disability claim take?
Plan for the long haul. An initial decision often takes three to six months. Most first claims are denied, and the appeal to a hearing before an administrative law judge can add a year or more. Start to finish, a contested Hawaii claim commonly runs one to two years, which is why filing early and appealing on time matters so much.
Most claims get denied at first. Should I just give up?
No. Denial of the first application is normal, not the end. The hearing stage, in front of an administrative law judge, is where many claims are actually approved, especially with a lawyer who prepares your medical evidence and cross-examines the vocational expert. The biggest mistake is missing the 60-day appeal deadline after a denial.
Do I have to travel to Oahu for my hearing if I live on a neighbor island?
Often not. Many Social Security hearings are now held by phone or video, so claimants on Maui, Kauai, Molokai, Lanai, and the Big Island can usually appear without flying to Honolulu. A firm used to serving all the islands will know how to set this up and gather records from neighbor-island providers.
Can a lawyer help if I am a veteran with a VA disability claim?
Yes, but it is a different system. VA disability runs on its own ratings, forms, and appeals, separate from Social Security. Several firms serving Honolulu focus specifically on veterans benefits, which matters in a state with a large military population. If your claim is with the VA, look for a veterans-disability practice rather than a general SSDI firm.
What if my private insurer denied my long-term disability claim?
That is usually an ERISA matter, not a Social Security one, and it has its own short deadlines. Several Honolulu-serving firms focus on long-term disability insurance and ERISA appeals. If an employer plan or private policy denied or cut off your benefits, talk to an ERISA-focused firm quickly, because missing an appeal window can end the claim.
One last thing. Choosing a lawyer is personal. Call two or three firms before you sign. Ask each one: How many disability hearings have you handled in the last three years? The answer tells you a lot. — The LawFirmSquare team
LawFirmSquare is a directory. We do not represent clients or refer cases for a fee.
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