Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance to broader benchmarks provides context for your upcoming hearing. Judge Gasparovich maintains a lifetime approval rate of 56%, which is 1 point below the Livonia MI office average and 2 points below the national average. These metrics are derived from a substantial docket of 16,786 lifetime decisions. Aggregate rates describe past decisions rather than predicting individual hearing outcomes.
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 Gasparovich'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 7 years on the bench, Judge Gasparovich has seen fluctuations in her approval patterns. While her early years showed rates as high as 60%, recent data indicates a shift, with the most recent period showing a 44% approval rate. This variance often reflects changes in the complexity of cases or the quality of evidence presented. The latest period suggests a departure from her long-term average, though such trends remain subject to the specific requirements of each case.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Gasparovich'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 Gasparovich? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Livonia MI hearing office
The Livonia MI hearing office serves a wide population across Michigan, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an average approval rate of 57%. You should be prepared for a thorough review of your medical records and vocational history. You can see the Livonia MI Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Livonia MI office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 55% to 73%. Because you cannot choose your judge, focusing on the strength of your medical evidence is the most effective way to prepare. You can find more information on the Livonia MI 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.