If you decide to apply for disability due to an injury or illness, then it is your best option to hire an attorney to help you through the process. About 65% of all disability claims are denied, and a lawyer can help to ensure the most favorable outcome possible. If you do hire a lawyer, there are still many things that you need to do on your own. Answering questions during your trial is one of these things. Read through the tips below to make sure that you are able to answer questions to the best of your ability without feeling nervous.
Do Not Ramble
Some people become extremely nervous when they need to speak publicly, and this can lead to rambling. Rambling and speaking quickly are ways that individuals try to cope with stress. Laughing nervously is another type of coping mechanism, and people often laugh to lighten the mood. Unfortunately, these types of nervous behaviors are not appropriate for a courtroom and they may make you seem aloof or unprofessional. Also, disability hearings last only about 15 minutes in most cases, and you want to make a good impression in the short amount of time that you see the judge.
Go Over Information
One of the best ways to overcome nervousness is to commit important information to your memory so it can be easily recalled. Dates, doctor's names, and medical conditions may all be forgotten if they are quickly learned. This happens, because the information is stored in your short-term memory. If your brain does not think that the information is important, then it is not transferred to long-term memory. If you go over the information several times, then your brain will recognize that the information is important and it will be moved to your long-term memory.
Ask your attorney for a copy of your disability application so you can easily see the dates, conditions, and doctor's names that have been supplied to the court. Read through this information several times every day for a week until it can be easily remembered.
Practice Answering Questions
Once you have committed important information to memory, ask your attorney for a list of questions that the hearing judge may ask you. Think about these questions carefully and write down a concise two or three sentence answer to each question. Do not include irrelevant remarks, opinions, or other types of information. This can distract from the facts that you want the judge to base your disability case on.
Once you have constructed your answers, ask a friend to ask the questions while you answer them out loud. Once you are confident about your answers, meet with your attorney again to practice. Your attorney will inform you if any information can be perceived as negative, so you can tweak your answers appropriately.
Ask For Clarification
Even though you practice questions and answers, the judge who oversees your case may ask you a variety of things you did not prepare for. If you become confused by these questions, then make sure that you ask the judge to clarify what he or she means. If you still do not understand what is being asked, then confer with your lawyer who may be able to explain the question better. This way, you can provide information that is relevant instead of providing an answer that does not relate to the question.
Calm Your Nerves
Preparing for your hearing will make you feel more confident, but you still may be nervous beforehand. If this is the case, then try to eat or drink something that will calm your nerves. Consider brewing a cup of tea for yourself and bringing it to court with you. Sip on chamomile tea while you wait for your hearing, because the beverage contains a mild sedative that can reduce stress and anxiety.
Peppermint can be used to soothe your stomach if you feel uneasy before your hearing, so try sucking on a peppermint candy. Lavender has a calming effect as well, so find some lavender candies to eat or place a few drops of essential lavender oil on your wrist so you can smell the fragrance.
If you have a disability hearing coming up, then you need to make sure that you are well prepared for your court appearance. One of the best ways to prepare is to reduce your nervousness and the tips above can assist you with this.
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