Approval rates
Judge Forbes-Schmitt has presided over 20,050 lifetime decisions during her 10-year tenure. Her latest approval rate of 55% places her 2 points above the current Charleston SC office average, though 3 points below the national average. These figures provide a statistical baseline for the volume and outcomes of hearings conducted in her courtroom. 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 Forbes-Schmitt'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 10 years on the bench, Judge Forbes-Schmitt has seen her approval rates fluctuate, ranging from a low of 49% in 2019 and 2020 to a high of 62% in 2024. The most recent data shows a rate of 56%, indicating a return to her long-term average after the peak observed in 2024. This trend suggests a stable decision-making pattern that has navigated various shifts in case volume and evidence requirements.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Forbes-Schmitt'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 Forbes-Schmitt? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Charleston SC hearing office
The Charleston SC Hearing Office serves you throughout South Carolina, managing a high volume of disability appeals. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains a latest approval rate of 53%. You should be prepared for a thorough review of your medical records and vocational history when appearing here. You can view the full ALJ roster on the Charleston SC Hearing Office page.
Other judges at this hearing office
The SSA utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to Judge Forbes-Schmitt is essentially random. Across the Charleston SC office, lifetime approval rates among the bench vary significantly, ranging from 44% to 69%. This variance highlights why focusing on the strength of your own medical evidence is the most effective strategy. You can find more information on the office's overall bench on the hearing office page.
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.