Official SSA Data

Mobile Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times

Alabama · SSA Region 04

Approval Rate

72.3%

vs 58.3% national

Wait Time

6 months

vs 8 months national

Processing Time

239 days

avg days to decision

Cases Pending

2,084

awaiting hearing

ALJs

11

active judges

Mobile 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
D B Stalley 92.8% 7.2% 89% 264 307
Roger A Nelson 85% 15% 83.5% 254 313
Ben E Sheely 84.1% 15.9% 83% 283 355
Thomas M Muth II 79.9% 20.1% 77.7% 283 325
Laura L Robinson 75.7% 24.3% 66.8% 313 363
Tracy S Guice 72.1% 27.9% 71.3% 251 336
Daniel S Campbell 66.5% 33.5% 62.7% 322 386
David R Murchison 63.9% 36.1% 61.2% 183 208
Robert Waller 62.9% 37.1% 47.6% 124 183
Marni R McCaghren 59.7% 40.3% 49.7% 288 351
Kevin Boucher 57.6% 42.4% 53.4% 309 385

About the Mobile Social Security Hearing Office

Claimants in the Mobile service area have their Social Security disability appeals heard at this office, one of the hearing locations in Alabama. The office is assigned to SSA Region 04 and has 11 active ALJs. With 11 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 72.3%, which is above the national average of 58.3%. This rate emerges from the aggregate of individual judge decisions and should be understood in the context of local case demographics and representation patterns. Individual judge approval rates at this office range from 57.6% to 92.8%, a 35-point spread that reflects significant variation in decision patterns among judges.

The current average wait time for a hearing at this office is 6 months, which is notably shorter than the national average of 8 months. Once a hearing takes place, this office issues decisions in an average of 239 days. There are currently 2,084 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 189 pending cases per judge.

Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 67.8%. 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 Mobile Hearing Office Data

Given the significant variation in decision patterns among judges at Mobile, 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 6 months and 239 days average processing time, claimants at Mobile can expect a total timeline of roughly 14 months from hearing request to decision. The faster-than-average processing at this office means cases may move through the system more quickly.

Judges at Mobile have collectively issued 2,874 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 261 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 124 to 322 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.

Mobile Hearing Office FAQ

How often are disability cases approved at Mobile?
The average ALJ approval rate at Mobile is 72.3% for FY 2025. This rate combines both fully favorable and partially favorable decisions.

Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 57.6% to 92.8%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 67.8%. The national average approval rate is 58.3%.
How many ALJs work at Mobile?
The Mobile office has 11 administrative law judges. Decision counts range from 124 to 322 in the current fiscal year. See the judges table above for individual statistics.
What is the average case processing time at Mobile?
The current average wait time at Mobile is 6 months. This is shorter than the national average of 8 months. After the hearing, decisions are issued in an average of 239 days.

From hearing request to decision, the total timeline at this office averages approximately 14 months. Note that wait times are point-in-time estimates from SSA reporting and may vary from month to month based on case volume and staffing changes.
How is office data calculated?
With 11 judges handling cases, this is one of the larger hearing offices. Office statistics are calculated by aggregating individual judge decision data. See our methodology page for details on data sources and calculations. These figures rely on SSA's publicly released disposition records, which are processed and incorporated into our database as each reporting cycle concludes.
How often do judges at Mobile issue fully favorable decisions?
A fully favorable outcome awards benefits from the date the claimant first alleged disability. A partially favorable outcome also results in an award but may recognize a later onset date, reducing retroactive benefits. In the approval rate shown here, both types of favorable decisions are included. At Mobile, the average fully favorable rate across judges is 67.8%.
Is Mobile's approval rate higher or lower than nearby offices?
Of the 3 hearing offices in Alabama, Mobile has the highest approval rate at 72.3%. In terms of wait time, Mobile ranks 1 of 3 (6 months). Visit the Alabama overview page for a full comparison of all offices in the state.