Even with our office pushing the Social Security Administration to make a favorable decision, it usually takes Social Security five months to decide an initial claim, and an additional six to twelve months to have a hearing before a Judge if the initial claim is denied. Our office has had considerable success in shortening the time periods on appeal by persuading Judges to issue favorable decisions without the necessity for a formal hearing. Depending on the facts of the individual case, we can sometimes obtain benefits for clients months earlier than normal simply by being aggressive.