Approval rates
Judge Statum has maintained a 53% lifetime approval rate. When compared to the latest Orlando Hearing Office average of 62% and the national average of 58%, your recent performance highlights the importance of thorough evidence preparation. 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 Statum'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 10 years on the bench, Judge Statum has seen approval rates shift in response to changing case volumes and legal standards. Her career began with a 45% approval rate in 2016, peaking at 63% in 2019. The latest reporting period shows an approval rate of 42%. The specific evidence and medical documentation you present remain the most critical factors in your outcome.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Statum'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 Statum? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Orlando hearing office
The Orlando Hearing Office serves a large population across central Florida, managing a high volume of disability claims. As one of the busier offices in the region, it maintains an office-wide approval rate that reflects the complex nature of the cases heard here. You should be prepared for a rigorous review of your medical records and vocational history. You can see the Orlando Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Orlando Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 53% to 63%. The core requirements for proving disability under 20 CFR Part 404 remain consistent for every judge.
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.