Once you stop working for 60 months, your Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) coverage automatically ends. That means the longer you wait, the less likely you are to get benefits when you apply. People who file on their own without legal help typically don't get benefits without multiple court appeals and a 2-3 year wait. Having a lawyer makes the SSA 3x more likely to award you benefits in just months, not years — and you owe $0 if you don't get disability. Federal law says attorneys cannot charge more than 25% of your lump-sum backpay award or $7,200, but people approved within the last year paid less than half that amount in legal fees.