Social Security Disability Help for
Hard-Working People
Jay Barnes is a Utah Social Security Disability lawyer and the founder and president of Barnes Disability Advocates. He helps people facing some of the toughest times they’ve ever experienced gain access to support for more steady, independent lives.
Jay has more than 21 years of experience practicing Social Security Disability law. He has helped thousands of people, but he says it’s the individual wins that stand out and mean the most to him.
As a native Utahn himself, he knows local people don’t ask for help lightly. Utahns pride themselves on hard work and self-sufficiency. They don’t complain or make excuses.
Only severe health problems beyond their control lead Utahns to think about applying for disability benefits. Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) isn’t a handout. You qualify for coverage from SSDI by working and paying taxes into the system.
“I work for people who need my services to meet their basic needs,” Jay says. “I think every one of them is worth my time and effort. I live in St. George, a relatively small city. That means some of my clients are neighbors or even good friends.”
Jay began his legal career working in various areas of the law and soon discovered he prefers helping individual people.
When he and his family lost his younger brother, Nathan S. Barnes, who served in the U.S. Army and died in Iraq in 2007, it inspired Jay to reflect on his life’s work and contributed to his founding of Barnes Disability Advocates in 2009.
At the firm, in addition to representing his own clients, Jay meets with new clients to help develop plans for their claims. He checks on cases as they progress, keeps clients updated, and advises other attorneys when they face challenging situations.
Taking on tough cases that other lawyers might turn away is a point of pride for Jay.
He’s handled cases that required multiple appeals over several years, cases that required tracing the origins of a disability decades in the past, cases that go in front of disability judges who are known for being strict about approving cases, and more. He’s handled cases from initial applications to federal court appeals.
Jay trains the attorneys and staff members at Barnes Disability Advocates. He’s also the firm’s resident technology expert, installing, customizing, and maintaining the computer and case management systems.
“I am also proud of our pro-bono work, which we don’t advertise but which provides legal assistance to people who can find the help we provide nowhere else.”
