Approval rates
Evaluating a judge's approval rate provides context for your hearing process, though it is only one factor in your case. Judge Chaykin has issued 21,797 lifetime decisions, establishing a clear statistical record over his 10-year tenure. While his latest approval rate of 58% aligns with national benchmarks, you should compare this against the NHC Falls Church office average of 51%. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for your individual hearing.
Office- and national-level breakdowns of fully favorable vs denial rates aren't currently published by SSA in the per-office disposition data. The judge's own breakdown is the detail we have today.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge Chaykin's docket. Annual rates fluctuate with the mix of cases SSA assigns; the longer-run pattern is more informative than any single year.
Decision pattern
Over a decade on the bench, Judge Chaykin has navigated a variety of caseloads across three different hearing offices. His approval rate has shown a gradual upward trend in recent years, moving from 47% in 2016 to 58% in 2025. This shift suggests a potential change in case mix or evolving evidentiary standards within his courtroom. The latest period reflects a continuation of this steady pattern as he manages his current docket.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Chaykin's bench. Judge-specific preparation guidance requires a corpus of public Appeals Council decisions involving each judge, which we haven't built yet.
- Bring a clean treating-physician record. Longitudinal primary-care or specialist notes spanning the disability period, with consistent symptom documentation, are typically the strongest evidence at hearing. A single month's records usually aren't enough.
- Don't rely on consultative exams alone. If your medical evidence is built primarily around a one-time CE finding, expect detailed questioning. Supplement with treating-source statements where possible.
- Prepare for daily-activity questions. Have honest, specific answers about a typical day. Answers that conflict with the medical record (in either direction) tend to hurt credibility.
- Expect transferable-skills probing. A vocational expert will usually testify about jobs available to someone with your limitations. Your representative should be prepared to cross-examine.
Hearing with Judge Chaykin? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Nhc Falls Church hearing office
The NHC Falls Church Hearing Office serves a significant population across Virginia, managing a high volume of disability claims. As one of 6 judges at this location, Judge Chaykin contributes to an office-wide environment that processes thousands of hearings annually. You can expect a formal legal proceeding focused on your medical evidence and vocational testimony.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Within the NHC Falls Church Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 48% to 69%. Because each judge manages their own courtroom, you may encounter different procedural preferences regardless of the office-wide averages.
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.