Greenbaum Breuer & Associates
Social Security disability firm focused on SSDI and SSI for over 40 years, from applications through ALJ hearings and appeals.
Free Consult Common
SSDI / SSIAppeals
Updated June 6, 2026
Vetted New Orleans SSDI and SSI disability firms, plus how the Social Security process works and what lawyers charge. Below are vetted New Orleans firms, plus plain-English answers on how the process works, how long it takes, and what lawyers charge.
Social Security disability is a federal program, so the rules are the same in New Orleans as anywhere else. There are two benefits: SSDI, which is based on the work credits you have paid in, and SSI, which is need-based for people with little income or assets. To qualify, you generally must show a medical condition that keeps you from working and is expected to last at least a year or be terminal. What is local is the process. Your initial medical decision is made by Louisiana DDS, and most first-time applications in Louisiana are denied, which is normal and not the end of the road. Many people in the New Orleans area also receive VA disability; that is a separate program from Social Security, and you can pursue both.
If you are denied, you ask for reconsideration, and if that is denied, you request a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). The hearing is where most cases are actually won, because you can testify, bring updated medical evidence, and have a lawyer cross-examine the vocational expert. If the ALJ denies the claim, the next steps are the Appeals Council and then federal court. The whole path can take many months to a couple of years, so the sooner you have help building the medical record, the better.
Disability lawyers do not charge upfront. Their fee is set by federal law: 25% of your past-due (back) benefits, up to a national cap that is $7,200 in 2026, and they are paid only if you are approved. The fee comes out of the back pay Social Security owes you, not your ongoing monthly checks, and the Social Security Administration must approve it. You may owe a small amount for copying medical records, but you should never be asked for a large retainer in an SSDI or SSI case. That means hiring a lawyer for a New Orleans disability claim carries almost no financial risk.
These firms are profiled in full, with practice focus and recognition, in our Top 10 Disability Lawyers in New Orleans guide. Each is a real, independently listed LA firm verified across legal directories.
Social Security disability firm focused on SSDI and SSI for over 40 years, from applications through ALJ hearings and appeals.
Has devoted his practice exclusively to Social Security disability for over 30 years, from initial application through federal court.
Represents claimants seeking Social Security disability from its New Orleans office, handling new filings and denied-claim appeals.
Disability practice handling SSDI, SSI, disability appeals, long-term disability, and disability retirement.
Social Security disability and injury firm handling SSDI/SSI applications, hearings, and appeals at all levels.
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