Ft Lauderdale Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times
Florida · SSA Region 04
Approval Rate
50.8%
vs 57.6% national
Wait Time
8 months
vs 8.4 months national
Processing Time
260 days
avg days to decision
Cases Pending
4,472
awaiting hearing
ALJs
10
active judges
Ft Lauderdale ALJ Approval Rates and Decision Statistics
Individual judge statistics for 12 months ending July 2026. Click any judge to see detailed performance data.
| Judge | Approval Rate | Denial Rate | Fully Favorable | Total Decisions | Dispositions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonathan Sprague | 76.2% | 23.8% | 69.8% | 172 | 206 |
| Rossana L D'alessio | 74.2% | 25.8% | 67.7% | 461 | 564 |
| Wendy Hunn | 73.2% | 26.8% | 68.2% | 321 | 401 |
| Richard J Ortiz Valero | 64.5% | 35.5% | 59.7% | 417 | 535 |
| Angela Saindon | 62.5% | 37.5% | 62.5% | 24 | 26 |
| Denise Pasvantis | 52.3% | 47.7% | 45.5% | 354 | 462 |
| Lissette Labrousse | 43.9% | 56.1% | 29.3% | 474 | 585 |
| Jennifer Pustizzi | 42.1% | 57.9% | 32.7% | 214 | 300 |
| Angela Neel | 29.9% | 70.1% | 19% | 452 | 575 |
| Valencia Jarvis | 11.9% | 88.1% | 5.7% | 370 | 467 |
Former Judges at Ft Lauderdale
These judges have no recorded decisions at Ft Lauderdale in the 12 months ending July 2026. Figures below cover each judge's own last twelve reported months, ending in the month shown.
| Judge | Last Decisions Reported | Approval Rate | Total Decisions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sylvia H Alonso | April 2025 | 23.2% | 314 |
| Jose Perez Gonzalez | December 2023 | 100% | 1 |
Approval rates here cover each judge's own trailing window ending in the month shown, so they are not directly comparable with the current roster above or with national figures.
About the Ft Lauderdale Social Security Hearing Office
The Ft Lauderdale hearing office is part of the Social Security Administration's Office of Hearings Operations in Florida. This office is in SSA Region 04 and currently has 10 administrative law judges who hear disability appeals. With 10 ALJs, this is one of the larger hearing offices in the system, handling a substantial volume of disability cases each fiscal year.
The office's average approval rate is 50.8%, which is below the national average of 57.6%. 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 11.9% to 76.2%, a 64-point spread that reflects significant variation in decision patterns among judges.
The current average wait time for a hearing at this office is 8 months, which is comparable to the national average of 8.4 months. Once a hearing takes place, this office issues decisions in an average of 260 days. There are currently 4,472 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 447 pending cases per judge.
Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 46.0%. A fully favorable decision means the claimant receives benefits from the onset date they requested, as opposed to a partially favorable decision which may award benefits from a later date.
How to Interpret Ft Lauderdale Hearing Office Data
Given the significant variation in decision patterns among judges at Ft Lauderdale, 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 8 months and 260 days average processing time, claimants at Ft Lauderdale can expect a total timeline of roughly 17 months from hearing request to decision.
Judges at Ft Lauderdale have collectively issued 3,259 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 326 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 24 to 474 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.
Ft Lauderdale Hearing Office FAQ
What is the approval rate at Ft Lauderdale?
Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 11.9% to 76.2%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 46.0%. The national average approval rate is 57.6%.
Which judges hear cases at Ft Lauderdale?
How long is the wait time at Ft Lauderdale?
From hearing request to decision, the total timeline at this office averages approximately 17 months. Wait times are snapshots from the most recent SSA data release and can shift as caseloads, staffing, and scheduling capacity change.
How is office data calculated?
What is the fully favorable rate at Ft Lauderdale?
How does Ft Lauderdale compare to other offices in the state?
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