Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance requires looking at both lifetime averages and recent activity. Judge Koltys has maintained a 58% lifetime approval rate across 17,886 lifetime decisions, which aligns with the national average. While his latest approval rate of 62% shows recent activity, it remains distinct from the broader office performance. 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 Koltys'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, your judge has seen approval rates fluctuate. After a period of lower approvals between 2017 and 2018, the trend shifted upward, with recent years showing a more consistent approval pattern. The latest 62% approval rate suggests a period of stability compared to earlier career years. These shifts often reflect changes in the complexity of cases or the quality of evidence presented, rather than a change in judicial philosophy.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Koltys'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 Koltys? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Santa Barbara hearing office
The Santa Barbara Hearing Office serves a diverse population across California, managing a significant volume of disability claims. With a team of 6 judges, the office maintains an environment where case outcomes can vary based on the specific evidence provided. You should expect a professional hearing process focused on your medical documentation and vocational testimony. You can visit the Santa Barbara Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases through a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning you cannot choose your judge. Within the Santa Barbara office, lifetime approval rates among the bench vary significantly, ranging from 36% to 81%. Because case assignment is essentially random, you should focus on building a robust case regardless of who is assigned to your hearing. The guidance for your preparation remains consistent regardless of which judge you are assigned.
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.