Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance to broader benchmarks provides context for your upcoming hearing. While the national average approval rate is 58%, Judge Soltes has maintained a lifetime approval rate of 54% across 18,242 lifetime decisions. These figures illustrate the statistical landscape of the Albany office, where the latest approval rate is 67%. 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 Soltes Jr.'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 his 9-year tenure, Judge Soltes has shown a shift in his decision-making patterns. While his early years saw approval rates in the 42% to 48% range, recent data indicates an upward trend, peaking at 70% in 2024 before adjusting to 61% in 2025. This evolution suggests that his approach to evidence and case evaluation has become more favorable in recent years. The latest period reflects a continuation of this pattern.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Soltes Jr.'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 Soltes Jr.? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Albany hearing office
The Albany Hearing Office serves you and other claimants across New York, managing a volume of disability cases. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains a latest approval rate of 67%, which is higher than the national average. You can expect a professional environment focused on the review of your medical and vocational evidence. You can view the full ALJ roster on the Albany Hearing Office page.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Within the Albany office, lifetime approval rates among the bench vary, ranging from 49% to 81%. This variance highlights why understanding the general environment of your hearing office is useful. You can find more information on the office's general operations on the Albany 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.