Approval rates
Judge Wolfe maintains a lifetime approval rate of 60% based on 16,885 decisions. In the most recent reporting period, her approval rate reached 73%, which is 2 percentage points higher than the national average of 58% and 1 point above the Florida state average. These figures are derived from a substantial volume of cases, providing a stable view of her decision-making history. 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 Wolfe'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 her 10 years on the bench, Judge Wolfe has seen her approval rates shift from 60% in 2016 to 73% in the most recent period. After a period of lower approval rates between 2017 and 2019, the trend has moved steadily upward in recent years. This recent uptick may reflect changes in case mix or the quality of evidence presented in the Miami OHO. The current pattern suggests a judge who has refined her approach to complex disability claims over a long tenure.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Wolfe'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 Wolfe? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Miami Oho hearing office
The Miami OHO serves a large population across Florida, managing a high volume of disability claims with a bench of 6 judges. The office currently maintains an approval rate of 67%, reflecting the regional complexity of cases handled in this area. You should be prepared for rigorous documentation requirements and thorough questioning during your hearing. You can review the full ALJ roster on the Miami OHO Hearing Office page.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Miami OHO, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 50% to 78%. Because you cannot choose your judge, it is important to focus on the strength of your medical evidence and testimony. You can find more information on the office's general performance on the Miami OHO 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.