WELCOME TO THE OPM DISABILITY RETIREMENT BLOG:
YOUR ONE-STOP SHOP FOR INFORMATION AND ADVICE RELATED TO FERS DISABILITY RETIREMENT
This blog is meant to provide information to FERS Federal Government Employees seeking OPM Disability Retirement.
Most people who visit this blog are looking for detailed information about FERS Disability Retirement. I have tried to provide an overview by answering all of the common questions in the "Essential Legal Manual." If that is all you read, you will already have a good idea of how Disability Retirement works.
If you are a FERS federal employee who just needs the basics of how to win OPM Disability Retirement, check out the "Don't Be A Dummy" page. It is a quick and dirty introduction to 3 core principles of Disability Retirement and the basic winning strategies you will need to know in your upcoming battle with OPM (trust me, it is often a battle).
The Articles page is exactly what it sounds like. I have written articles on the inner-workings of OPM Disability Retirement, including "Why Getting Fired Can Be A Blessing," "My Client Had Fibromyalgia," and "Denying the Right to Counsel." You can see some of them here on the front page.
Check out Harvey Talk! (Our podcast series) and About the Author for stories about cases, flippant conversations about Disability Retirement law, and more. The podcasts are a quick and fun way to get a taste of what I'm all about as a lawyer: someone who has been helping federal employees get benefits for 30 years.
Lastly, if you are seriously considering disability retirement, reconsideration, or a final appeal to the MSPB, then I highly encourage you to fill out the contact form on the right. Every case is unique and you deserve quality advice. While I am not taking on new cases at this time, focusing instead on this blog, your information will be forwarded to my trusted colleague Elliott Andalman, Esq., with whom I have worked on many cases over the years. Elliott Andalman has represented myriad disability retirement clients over his many years of law practice at all stages of the proceedings from initial application through trials at the Merit System Protection Board. If you fill out the contact box at the right, your information will be sent directly to Elliott at Andalman & Flynn so that he can make contact with you to discuss your case.
Elliott likes talking to people - he'll take his time, offer advice, and won't charge a dime for your consultation.
*Any information you provide either on this website or over the phone is entirely confidential and will not be given to any other party (besides staff) without your express permission. Also, we don't run an email list so don't worry about getting a bunch of spam.
Recent Articles
Everyone who calls me knows they are sick or injured. But the question is, does their sickness or injury qualify them for OPM Disability Retirement?
How the Government Defines Disability for OPM Disability Retirement
“Disability Retirement̶…
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To write the very best Applicant's Statement, it is crucial to keep a daily journal of your medical condition and how it is impacting your work. This will help you tell a story and back up that story with dates and experiences.
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Want to Win? Start With These 10 Questions.
What are the essential forms for FERS Disability Retirement?
How sick or injured do I have to be?
How can a lawyer help you win?
How can getting fired be a blessing?
How can I get my boss to help me win?…
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Podcast #3: A Good Doctor is the Real Key to Winning:
Transcript edited for clarity:
How do you know if you are eligible for Disability Retirement?
There is a legal standard, but you probably would have a difficult time figuring out if you…
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Podcast:
Transcript edited for clarity:
How come you retired?
I’m old! I’m 77! When I turned 75, I said, “OK, that’s enough, time to play!”
Then how come you are still doing this blog?
Because I can’t retire. I unplugged…
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Summary: OPM Disability Retirement requires an applicant to submit a “checklist” form. This checklist form is entirely redundant, but poses a challenge because OPM requires someone at the applicant’s federal agency to fill it out. …
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Summary: Your Chance Of Winning OPM Disability Retirement Can Be Dramatically Increased If You Are Fired By Your Agency Because Your Medical Condition Precludes you from Performing Your Job.
It may or may not surprise you but a Federal employee can b…
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OPM DISABILITY RETIREMENT APPLICANTS ARE ROUTINELY CHEATED OUT OF DISABILITY RETIREMENT BENEFITS BY ADJUDICATORS WHO ARE UNTRAINED IN THE RELEVANT LAW AND MEDICINE
I have evidence that OPM denies disability retirement benefits based on a bogus law—…
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If you are considering disability retirement for Fibromyalgia, you should get to know what you might be up against.
My client had fibromyalgia. She couldn’t do her secretarial duties. She couldn’t make it out of bed most mornings given he…
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The Law Requires That In Deciding Whether Or Not You Are Entitled To Disability Retirement, OPM Must “Weigh” The Evidence, As It Would On A Scale. If The Evidence In Your Favor Weighs More Than The Evidence Not In Your Favor, You Win And…
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OPM Contract Physicians, many of whom are military doctors with specialties such as trauma surgery, reconstruction, diving or flying related conditions, etc., routinely advise adjudicators on cases well outside their areas of expertise. What does a N…
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AT OPM, WINNING OR LOSING DISABILITY RETIREMENT HAS ALMOST NOTHING TO DO WITH THE LAW AND ALMOST EVERYTHING TO DO WITH WHICH SIDE OF THE BED THE OPM ADJUDICATOR GOT UP ON.
The law provides one single way to decide whether or not you are entitled to d…
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OPM’S DISABILITY RETIREMENT DIVISION RARELY RESPECTS AN APPLICANTS LEGAL RIGHT TO BE REPRESENTED BY COUNSEL THEY REFUSE, EVEN THOUGH IT IS OPM’S POLICY TO RESPECT THE RIGHT TO COUNSEL.
Every client of mine signs a “Designation of Representati…
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I have represented Federal government employees and Postal workers seeking OPM Disability Retirement for a long time. I also represent them in agency leave problems such as AWOL, FMLA, LWOP, etc. Leave problems often come along with being sick and disabled. I have stuck to this area of the law for more than 30 years of the 50 years I have been a lawyer.