In rare instances, it may be appropriate to hire a consultative doctor to provide information regarding a specific medical problem. However, it is always better to secure this information from your treating doctor if possible.

A treating doctor’s opinion will be given more weight by the Administrative Law Judge than will a consultative doctor. This is because a consultative doctor’s credibility may raise a red flag to the Administrative Law Judge hearing the case. The Judge may be suspicious as to why an outside doctor had to be hired as opposed to an attending physician simply being asked to comment.