Who decides cases at this office
The panel at this office consists of 6 judges with a moderate spread in their allowance rates, ranging from 51% to 86%. Because cases are assigned randomly, you cannot choose your judge, and each one weighs evidence according to their own judicial discretion. This variation means your file must be robust enough to stand on its own merits regardless of who is presiding.
| Rank | Judge | Approval Rate | Total Decisions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stacy Paddack | 76% | 21,153 | |
| 2 | Andrew Dixon III | 67% | 26,447 | |
| 3 | Steven L. Carnes | 60% | 13,404 | |
| 4 | Joshua R. Heller | 59% | 22,830 | |
| 5 | Janet McCamley | 59% | 22,928 | |
| 6 | Jeffrey Marvel | 55% | 6,260 | |
| 7 | David Herman | 52% | 25,889 | |
| 8 | Lisa Raleigh | 51% | 23,086 | |
| 9 | Alisa M. Tapia | 34% | 8,716 |
Heading to an ALJ hearing? Get a free case review to prepare for your hearing date.
Free Benefits ReviewHow long you'll wait
At Tallahassee, the average wait from hearing request to written decision is 7 months— versus a national average of 8 months. Here's how it's tracked month by month over the past 16 months.
Your odds change dramatically with a lawyer
SSDI hearing approval rates — represented vs. on your own
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.
Going to your hearing
With a 7-month wait, you have a clear runway to organize your medical records before your hearing date. Your hearing will involve an ALJ and a vocational expert who will testify about jobs that fit your physical or mental limits. You must submit all new evidence well before the deadline, as last-minute additions are restricted. Bring your identification and a current list of medications, including side effects that impact your daily activities. If you have witness statements from family or coworkers, these can provide essential context for your daily limitations. The ALJ will weigh this evidence alongside your medical history, and you will receive a decision by mail after the proceedings conclude.
Hearings at this office move faster than the national average, leaving less time to correct gaps in your medical record once a date is set. Professional preparation helps you anticipate the vocational expert's questions and ensures your evidence is submitted in a format the ALJ can easily review. When the panel's allowance rates vary by over 30 points, preparation is the best way to mitigate the uncertainty of random judge assignment.
Field offices that route cases here
If your hearing is at Tallahassee, your case originated at one of the SSA field offices below — the local intake counter where you (or a representative) filed the initial application. Field offices don't decide hearings, but they hold your file, issue benefit-payment notices, and field the day-to-day questions during your wait.