5-step sequential evaluation, medical-vocational grid analysis, RFC assessment, the appeal ladder (reconsideration → ALJ → Appeals Council), MSS request tracking, and the SSA fee cap calculator stay in one workflow, with sources visible for you to review and confirm.
10 clicks or less from intake to filing-ready, no tedious form filling
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See it in action
The workflows SSDI attorneys spend the most time on: deadlines, RFC, and hearing prep, organized into guided next steps.
SSA pipeline tracked stage by stage. Appeal-window context opens from the denial date, with reminders surfaced before the deadline becomes the emergency.
Physical and mental RFC documented in one place. B-criteria tracked, exertional limits organized, source conflicts surfaced before the ALJ does.
Pre-hearing checklist organized from case data. Hearing-brief prep starts from the same medical evidence, RFC, and sequential-evaluation record.
The problem
SSDI cases take two to three years and the administrative load is brutal: every client has a five-step sequential evaluation to document, an RFC to build, a hearing to prepare for, and a 65-day appeal window that restarts the clock if you miss it.
Most attorneys managing more than a handful of SSDI clients are tracking deadlines in spreadsheets, building RFC documentation from scratch in every case, and assembling hearing briefs manually under pressure. The work compounds.
DocketBuddy organizes the documentation and deadline layer: the SSA pipeline tracks every client from initial application through federal court, appeal windows are calculated from denial dates for attorney review, and RFC documentation, sequential evaluation, VE hypotheticals, and hearing-brief prep are all built from the case data already in the system.
The legal judgment is yours, the paperwork isn't.
What it does
SSA CASE PIPELINE
Track every client from initial application through reconsideration, ALJ hearing, Appeals Council, and federal court, with denial dates driving the appeal-window view for attorney verification before deadlines pass.
65-DAY DEADLINE TRACKING
Appeal deadline context is tracked from the denial date. Reminder workflows can be configured for appeal windows and ALJ hearings, with deadlines surfaced for attorney review.
SEQUENTIAL EVALUATION TRACKER
All five steps of SSA's sequential evaluation (SGA test, severity, listing analysis, past work, and other work), documented and organized by step. Step 5 VE/grids analysis tracked separately.
RFC DOCUMENTATION
Document physical exertional levels, sit/stand/walk limits, and additional limitations, and track the four B-criteria for mental RFC. Treating source RFC vs. SSA RFC conflicts are surfaced before the hearing, not after.
ALJ HEARING PREP
Pre-hearing checklist organized from case data. Brief-prep surfaces pull together medical records, RFC documentation, and sequential evaluation findings for attorney review before anything is submitted.
VE HYPOTHETICAL BUILDER
Construct residual functional capacity hypotheticals for vocational expert testimony. Track VE responses and keep cross-examination prep tied to the hypothetical limitations, not pulled from memory under pressure.
OTR / APPEALS COUNCIL BRIEF
On-the-Record request and Appeals Council brief prep can be structured from case data: medical evidence summary, RFC argument, and favorable opinion citations. Attorney review and final drafting required.
APPROVAL PROBABILITY + GRID RULES
Attorney-planning score from case data (medical evidence strength, RFC limitations, listing match, claimant profile) with grid-rule context for age, education, and work history. Not a prediction; attorney judgment required before use.
MEDICAL EVIDENCE TRACKING
Track every medical provider (treating physician, specialist, hospital, examiner) with record status from not-requested through summarized. Gaps in medical evidence flagged before the ALJ finds them.
FOLLOW-UP SEQUENCES
Stage-aware follow-up workflows support medical-record requests, hearing reminders, and post-decision deadlines. Touchpoints stay attached to the matter instead of scattered across inboxes and calendars.
SSA PIPELINE
Every client tracked from initial application through reconsideration, ALJ, Appeals Council, and federal court, with appeal windows derived from each stage's own deadline rules
RFC DOCUMENTATION
Physical and mental RFC organized by criterion, with the analysis written for your review and a plain-language version for the client conversation
HEARING BRIEF
Medical evidence, RFC findings, and sequential evaluation results assemble into a full pre-hearing brief for your review before it goes anywhere
NEWEST CAPABILITY
Generate an ALJ pre-hearing brief or Appeals Council brief straight from the case record, versioned so every draft stays available as the hearing date gets closer.
Scope and limits
DocketBuddy is case management and documentation software, not a substitute for legal judgment. Every AI-generated output: approval probability, hearing brief, RFC conflict flag, VE cross-exam questions, is labeled Attorney Work Product and requires attorney review before use.
Approval probability scores are derived from case data and industry patterns. They are not a guarantee of outcome and should not be communicated to clients without independent attorney judgment.
Reminder workflows can be configured around scheduled windows, but attorneys remain responsible for all filing deadlines. Technology failure does not extend an appeal window.
Medical listing analysis surfaces potential matches based on documented RFC and sequential evaluation data. Step 3 analysis requires attorney judgment and medical authority, the system does not make listing determinations.
Trust layer
Questions? hello@docketbuddy.org
Full security details →Most solo and small-firm attorneys already use plenty of software. The problem isn't the tools, it's that none of them work like a legal workflow.
One self-serve price per practice package. Unlimited matters. No per-case fees or per-seat software charges.
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