Approval rates
Judge Stone maintains a lifetime approval rate of 78%, which stands 12 points higher than the current Fayetteville office average of 66% and 20 points above the national average of 58%. These figures are derived from a docket of 21,462 lifetime decisions. 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 Stone'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 9 years on the bench, Judge Stone has shown an upward trend in approval rates. Starting at 63% in 2016, the rate reached 93% in 2023 and remains at 92% in the most recent reporting period. This trajectory reflects a consistent approach to evaluating your disability claim.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Stone'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 Stone? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Fayetteville NC hearing office
The Fayetteville NC Hearing Office manages a high volume of disability claims with a bench of 6 judges. The office currently maintains an average approval rate of 66%. You can expect a standard administrative hearing process focused on your medical evidence and vocational testimony. You can see the Fayetteville NC 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. Across the Fayetteville office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 47% to 78%. While these variations exist, the fundamental requirements for proving your disability remain consistent. You can find more information on the Fayetteville NC 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.