I never talked to my attorney when I called. They assigned me a "case worker" who was familiar with my file, and I talked to her. She and some of the other staff had collected all my information, organized it, and presented it to the lawyer for him to review. My case worker was always pleasant to talk to, but I didn't bug her all the time, I only called about once a month, until towards the end when things were getting hectic and SSA was trying to get out of paying some back pay. It seemed the lawyers office was always one step ahead of what SSA was letting me know. Any time I received a confusing letter, the lawyer's office either already had it, or wanted to see it, so I would go down there for a face to face. It doesn't hurt to call and ask, just don't overdo it. They're aware that people are anxious, and unfamiliar with the process.