Approval rates
Comparing approval rates requires looking at consistent timeframes. While your judge's overall approval rate since 2016 is 57%, his latest-period approval rate is 64%. This latest figure sits 13 percentage points above the Ft Lauderdale office average of 51%. With 3,799 decisions on record, the data provides a stable look at past patterns.
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 Ortiz-Valero'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
The approval rate for Richard J. Ortiz-Valero has shown variation since 2016, starting at 63% and reaching a low of 48% in 2018 before trending upward. The most recent fiscal year-to-date period shows a 64% approval rate, which is higher than the long-term average. This recent uptick reflects changes in case mix or evidence quality.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Ortiz-Valero'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.
About the Ft Lauderdale hearing office
Richard J. Ortiz-Valero's most recent office on record is the Ft Lauderdale hearing office, as of July 2026. This office serves claimants across Florida and the surrounding region. With 19 judges on the bench, the office maintains an office-wide latest-period approval rate of 51%. You can expect a standard administrative hearing process focused on your medical and vocational evidence.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Ft Lauderdale
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. There are 19 judges whose most recent office on record is the Ft Lauderdale office, and 10 of them decided cases here in SSA's latest file. Approval rates among this bench vary significantly, ranging from 21% to 87% since 2016.
Approval rates change with a lawyer
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.
Frequently asked questions
Judge Ortiz-Valero's latest-period approval rate of 64% is 13 percentage points higher than the Ft Lauderdale office average of 51%. While this shows a difference in recent outcomes, every case is unique. An attorney can help you prepare your case to meet the specific requirements of your hearing.
Yes, the approval rate for Richard J. Ortiz-Valero has fluctuated over the years. It began at 63% in 2016, dipped to 48% in 2018, and has recently moved to 64% in the latest reporting period. Understanding these trends is part of how an attorney can help you prepare for your hearing.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases randomly to ensure efficiency. Because you cannot choose your judge, it is important to be prepared for any outcome. An attorney can help you prepare your case regardless of which judge is assigned.
An SSDI hearing is a formal but non-adversarial proceeding where a judge reviews your medical records and hears testimony. You will likely be asked about your daily limitations and work history. An attorney can help you prepare your testimony and organize your evidence for the hearing.
An approval rate is a statistical summary of past decisions and does not predict the outcome of your specific hearing. Your success depends primarily on the medical evidence and vocational testimony presented in your file. An attorney can help you evaluate the strengths of your case regardless of which judge is assigned.
