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Michigan ALJ Statistics

Social Security Disability hearing statistics for 6 hearing offices and 44 administrative law judges in Michigan.

State Approval Rate

57.7%

vs 58.3% national

Hearing Offices

6

in Michigan

ALJs

44

active judges

Avg Wait Time

7.4 months

vs 8 months national

Hearing Offices in Michigan

Office ALJs Approval Rate Wait Time Processing Pending
Detroit 12 58.5% 8 months 272 days 1,931
Flint 7 57.2% 8 months 281 days 1,774
Grand Rapids 6 57.7% 6 months 211 days 1,512
Lansing 6 52.4% 7 months 216 days 1,101
Livonia MI 7 57.8% 7 months 243 days 1,681
MT Pleasant MI 6 61.8% 7 months 252 days 1,167

About Michigan Disability Hearings

Social Security disability hearings in Michigan are conducted across 6 hearing offices in SSA Region 05. A total of 44 Administrative Law Judges are currently assigned to hear cases in the state.

The average approval rate across Michigan hearing offices is 57.7%, which is close to the national average of 58.3%. This rate aggregates decisions from all judges across the state's hearing offices.

Wait times across Michigan offices range from 6 months at the Grand Rapids hearing office to 8 months at the Flint hearing office.

Across all offices, there are 9,166 cases currently pending in Michigan, averaging approximately 208 pending cases per judge. Click on any hearing office below to see detailed judge-level statistics and individual approval rates.

Michigan Hearing Landscape

With 6 hearing offices spread across the state, Michigan's disability hearing landscape offers multiple points of comparison for attorneys and claimants. Case assignment is determined by residential address, so the specific office — and the judges at that office — depends on where the claimant lives. All statistics on this page are weighted by individual judge caseloads to accurately reflect the volume of cases processed.

With 6 hearing offices, Michigan provides multiple venues for disability hearings. Office sizes vary from 6 judges at the MT Pleasant MI hearing office to 12 judges at the Detroit hearing office. Cases are assigned to offices based on the claimant's residential address, so hearing location is determined by geography rather than preference.

For attorneys practicing disability law in Michigan, understanding the local hearing landscape is an important part of case preparation. The data on this page provides a starting point for evaluating office-level patterns, though individual judge statistics offer more granular insight into decision-making tendencies. Visit individual office pages for judge-level data.

Michigan Disability Hearing FAQ

How often are cases approved in Michigan?
The average ALJ approval rate in Michigan is 57.7% for FY 2025. This includes both fully favorable and partially favorable decisions. The national average is 58.3%, putting Michigan below the national benchmark. Office-level rates within the state range from 52.4% to 61.8%.
Where are the disability hearing offices in Michigan?
Michigan has 6 SSA hearing offices with a total of 44 administrative law judges. The largest office is the Detroit hearing office with 12 judges, while the MT Pleasant MI hearing office has 6. Hearing location is determined by the claimant's home address. Within each office, judges are assigned cases through a rotational scheduling system.
Where in Michigan can I get a disability hearing fastest?
The Grand Rapids hearing office currently has the shortest wait time at 6 months. The longest wait is at the Flint hearing office at 8 months, a gap of 2.0 months. These wait time figures represent the latest available snapshot and may fluctuate as hearing volumes and judge availability change over time.
How is state data calculated?
Michigan has 6 offices serving 44 judges across the state. State averages are calculated by aggregating data from all hearing offices within the state. See our methodology page for details on data sources and calculations. All statistics are drawn from publicly available SSA disposition data, updated periodically as new fiscal year reports become available.
How do Michigan's hearing statistics compare nationally?
Michigan is in SSA Region 05. Its average approval rate of 57.7% is below the national average of 58.3%. For a full comparison of approval rates and wait times across all states, visit the states overview page.
Why do approval rates vary across offices in Michigan?
Hearing outcomes in Michigan are influenced by several factors including the strength and completeness of medical evidence, vocational factors such as the claimant's age, education, and work history, the quality of legal representation at the hearing, and individual judge decision-making patterns. With 44 active judges across 6 offices, outcomes in Michigan reflect a broad range of judicial decision-making patterns.

While all ALJs apply the same federal disability standards, these case-level factors can lead to variation in outcomes across offices and judges.
Is it possible to change hearing offices within Michigan?
Your hearing office is determined by where you live, and the specific judge is assigned through the office's rotational calendar — neither is chosen by the claimant. While transfers between offices are generally not possible based on preference, a change of address that moves you into a different office's service area may result in case reassignment. Michigan has 6 hearing offices, each serving a defined geographic area within the state.

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