SSDI was a lengthy process but I was very lucky and hired an attorney who was highly competent and was successful.. 70% of initial claims are summarily denied and you are forced to appeal, which is an arduous process that's hard to endure without an Attorney. My advice regarding SSDI is don't fille without a Lawyer. Their fee is regulated by Law and it's no more than 25% of your "Back Money" or $6,000 whichever is less. "Back Money" refers to the money owed from date of filing to date of award. In my case it was 25% 0f roughly $10,500 which is a bargain. we easiy won because we filed nearly 2,300 pages worth of medical history. The judge cancelled the hearing and we got the money about 2 weeks after the scheduled date of Hearing. It still took over a year.