If you retain us, we will bring these important qualities to your disability case.

We primarily practice Social Security law. By focusing on Social Security disability, Supplemental Security Income, and veterans’ disability claims, we are able to offer a combination of resourcefulness, experience, and winning methodology in advocating for our clients.

We understand each client’s unique situation. Clients have told us that before consulting with us, no one has let them tell their story. No one listened. We will.

We advocate for you aggressively. While we cannot speed up the legal process, we do promise to aggressively press for your rights. We use state-of-the-art tools and resources to prepare and present your claim.

We keep you informed. We promise to explain the legal process and provide you with current information concerning your claim or case.We accept Social Security disability claims at all stages—whether at application, first appeal, second appeal, or hearing level. We also handle veteran’s disability benefit cases. We represent clients in Iowa and throughout the Midwest.

If you want us to evaluate your claim, please fill out the Free Claim Evaluation Form on the right side of this page.  If you have other questions, please email our office

Every Social Security disability claim and client receives our personal attention. You may contact us at:

Law Offices of Thad J. Murphy Dubuque Iowa Social Security disability lawyers

 Phone: 888-256-7413 (toll free)

Fax: 563-583-9103

1635 Associates Drive, Suite 102 (next door to the Dubuque Social Security office) Dubuque, Iowa 52002

Social Security regulations make it easier to be found disabled as you get older. It becomes easier for a few people at age 45 (those unable to readEnglish), for more people at age 50, for most people at age 55, and even more people at age 60. If you’re over age 55 and you cannot do any job you have done in the past 15 years, you should definitely apply. If you’re over age 50 and have a severe impairment that keeps you from doing all but the easiest jobs, you ought to apply.

But even if you’re a younger person, you don’t have to be bedridden in order to be found disabled. If you’re under age 45 or 50 and you cannot do your past jobs and you cannot work full time at any regular job, that ought to be enough.

Nevertheless, being unable to work and being found “disabled” by the Social Security Administration (SSA) are two different things. It is often difficult to convince SSA that someone is “disabled” even when he or she genuinely cannot work. But it is not impossible.

If you really cannot work, apply for disability benefits from SSA. And keep appealing denials at least through the hearing before an administrative law judge. If you lose at a hearing, sometimes a lawyer with experience handling disability cases can figure out a way to win your case by pursuing the next appeal – to the Appeals Council.