Approval rates
Comparing a judge's approval rate to regional and national benchmarks provides context for your hearing. Judge Everstine's lifetime rate of 49% across 12,470 decisions is measured against the current Santa Barbara Hearing Office average of 74% and the national average of 58%. These figures offer a statistical snapshot of the bench, though they do not serve as a prediction 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 Everstine'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 her 9 years on the bench, Judge Everstine has navigated a varied caseload, with yearly approval rates ranging from a low of 38% in 2022 to a high of 61% in 2020. Her 12,470 lifetime decisions demonstrate a career that has adapted to changing evidentiary requirements and case volumes. Recent data from 2024 shows a rate of 49%, which aligns closely with her long-term career average.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Everstine'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 Everstine? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Santa Barbara hearing office
The Santa Barbara Hearing Office serves you and other claimants across the region, managing a high volume of disability cases with a bench of 6 administrative law judges. The office currently reports an approval rate of 74%, providing a local venue for you to present your claim. You can expect a formal environment where your medical documentation and vocational testimony are prioritized.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. At the Santa Barbara Hearing Office, the bench consists of 6 judges with lifetime approval rates ranging from 36% to 81%. This variance highlights why focusing on the strength of your medical evidence is the most effective way to prepare for your day in court.
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.