Colorado Springs Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times
Colorado · SSA Region 08
Approval Rate
44.2%
vs 58.3% national
Wait Time
10 months
vs 8 months national
Processing Time
378 days
avg days to decision
Cases Pending
1,412
awaiting hearing
ALJs
5
active judges
Colorado Springs ALJ Approval Rates and Decision Statistics
Individual judge statistics for FY 2025. Click any judge to see detailed performance data.
| Judge | Approval Rate | Denial Rate | Fully Favorable | Total Decisions | Dispositions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debra L Boudreau | 67.8% | 32.2% | 63.2% | 174 | 209 |
| Kurt D Schuman | 58.5% | 41.5% | 39.3% | 135 | 184 |
| Bryan Henry | 50.5% | 49.5% | 37.7% | 398 | 476 |
| Matthew C Kawalek | 40.3% | 59.7% | 18.4% | 424 | 496 |
| Diane S Davis | 22.3% | 77.7% | 12.4% | 323 | 385 |
About the Colorado Springs Social Security Hearing Office
The Colorado Springs hearing office is part of the Social Security Administration's Office of Hearings Operations in Colorado. This office is in SSA Region 08 and currently has 5 administrative law judges who hear disability appeals.
The office's average approval rate is 44.2%, which is below the national average of 58.3%. Approval rates are influenced by many factors including case mix, quality of representation, and individual judge decision-making patterns. Individual judge approval rates at this office range from 22.3% to 67.8%, a 46-point spread that reflects significant variation in decision patterns among judges.
The current average wait time for a hearing at this office is 10 months, which is longer than the national average of 8 months. Longer wait times can reflect higher caseload volume relative to available judges. Once a hearing takes place, this office issues decisions in an average of 378 days. There are currently 1,412 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 282 pending cases per judge.
Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 34.2%. A fully favorable decision awards benefits from the claimant's requested onset date, while a partially favorable decision may set a later onset date. Both count toward the overall approval rate.
How to Interpret Colorado Springs Hearing Office Data
Given the significant variation in decision patterns among judges at Colorado Springs, thorough case preparation is especially important. Since judge assignments are rotational, the specific ALJ assigned to a case is not known in advance — ensuring medical evidence and vocational documentation are comprehensive can help regardless of which judge presides.
With an average wait time of 10 months and 378 days average processing time, claimants at Colorado Springs can expect a total timeline of roughly 23 months from hearing request to decision. This longer-than-average wait underscores the importance of having complete medical evidence ready well before the hearing date.
Judges at Colorado Springs have collectively issued 1,454 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 291 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 135 to 424 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.
Colorado Springs Hearing Office FAQ
What are my chances of approval at Colorado Springs?
Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 22.3% to 67.8%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 34.2%. The national average approval rate is 58.3%.
Who are the Administrative Law Judges at Colorado Springs?
How long do disability cases take at Colorado Springs?
From hearing request to decision, the total timeline at this office averages approximately 23 months. Wait times are snapshots from the most recent SSA data release and can shift as caseloads, staffing, and scheduling capacity change.