RSSA® for Attorneys and Legal Professionals
Give Clients One More Reason to Choose Your Firm
Bring Social Security Expertise In House With the RSSA® Program
Attorneys help their clients navigate complex financial and personal decisions that can have lasting consequences. In many of these situations, Social Security may play an important role in the choices a client makes.
The Registered Social Security Analyst® (RSSA®) program gives legal professionals the education and software they need to address these important considerations as part of a more complete planning process.
Help Clients Make More Informed Social Security Decisions
The RSSA® Program provides education, software, and a professional credential designed to help you guide clients through important Social Security claiming decisions.
Education & Training
Build a deeper understanding of Social Security through a five-module program featuring real-world case studies, claiming strategies, and hands-on software training.
RSSA® Certification
Pass the RSSA® Final Exam to become a Registered Social Security Analyst®. Enrollment includes one exam registration with Kaplan Financial Education.
Software & Support
Annual membership includes RSSA Roadmap® software, continuing education, case and software support, and additional resources to support the Social Security services offered through your practice.
Social Security Can Impact Important Legal Decisions
Divorce, disability, retirement, caregiving, estate planning, and the loss of a loved one can all affect a client’s Social Security options. These situations may raise questions involving the client, a spouse, former spouse, survivor, or dependent.
Understanding those connections helps attorneys see how Social Security may fit into the broader legal and financial decisions their clients are making.
Bring More Insight to the Client Conversation
Social Security knowledge can help legal professionals recognize relevant issues earlier and provide more informed guidance throughout the client relationship.
- Identify potential Social Security issues earlier
- Ask more informed questions during client intake
- Recognize benefits involving a spouse, survivor, or dependent
- Coordinate more effectively with other professionals
- Provide more complete guidance across related decisions
A poorly timed Social Security claiming decision can cost your clients up to $139,000 in lifetime benefits.
Understanding how legal and financial decisions affect those benefits gives attorneys the opportunity to help clients protect more of their retirement income.
Where Social Security Fits Into Your Legal Practice
Social Security considerations may influence the legal and financial decisions your clients are already facing.
Elder Law and Elder Care Attorneys
Your elder law clients are already asking when to claim, how a spouse's benefit factors in, and what happens if long-term care changes the picture. An RSSA® on staff means those questions get answered in the same meeting, by the same trusted advisor, instead of sending the client elsewhere. It's a natural extension of the planning conversations you're already having.
- Retirement and survivor benefits
- Coordination with Medicare, Medicaid, and long-term care planning
- Powers of attorney, guardianship, and incapacity planning
- Representative payee considerations
Estate Planning, Wills and Trusts
Clients don't separate their Social Security decisions from their estate plan, even if the paperwork does. When your firm holds the RSSA® designation, survivor income, trust planning for a dependent beneficiary, and coordination with other assets all become part of one conversation, with your firm at the center of it.
- Survivor income following the death of a spouse
- Trust planning for dependent or disabled beneficiaries
- Coordination with retirement accounts and other assets
- Powers of attorney and incapacity planning
Probate and Estate Administration
The death of a spouse or parent can raise immediate Social Security questions alongside the legal and financial matters involved in settling an estate.
- Widow and widower benefits
- Divorced-survivor benefits
- Benefits for minor or dependent children
- Timing considerations for surviving spouses
Special Needs Planning
Families planning for an individual with a disability may need to coordinate legal arrangements, family resources, and Social Security or other public benefits.
- SSDI and SSI distinctions
- Disabled adult child benefit considerations
- Special needs trusts
- Coordination with Medicaid and other public benefits
Divorce and Family Law
Divorce may affect which Social Security benefits a client can receive, including potential eligibility based on a former spouse's earnings record.
- Former-spouse retirement benefits
- Length-of-marriage requirements
- Divorced-survivor benefits
- Social Security considerations during settlement planning
Employment and Public-Sector Law
Employment and retirement decisions can affect Social Security benefits, particularly for clients who continue working while receiving benefits or have a history of public-sector employment.
- Working while receiving benefits and the earnings test
- Public-sector pensions and employment history
- Retirement timing
- Coordination with pension and retirement benefits
Bring RSSA® Training to Your Whole Firm
NARSSA offers group enrollment and education opportunities for law firms, bar associations, estate-planning councils, elder law organizations, and other professional groups. Group options can make it easier to bring Social Security knowledge to multiple attorneys or professionals within the same organization.
Discuss a Firm or Group EnrollmentTurn Complex Social Security Details Into Clear Guidance
RSSA Roadmap® handles the calculations behind a Social Security analysis and presents the results in a format that is easier to interpret, compare, and explain to clients.
- Import benefit information using an SSA.gov file
- Evaluate spousal, survivor, and divorced-spouse benefits
- Account for benefits involving dependent children and other family members
- Compare claiming ages and potential benefit outcomes
- Create client-friendly reports in English or Spanish
Add Specialized Social Security Knowledge to Your Legal Practice
Attorney Eligibility
A Juris Doctor or attorney credential satisfies the RSSA® program's professional eligibility requirement.
Flexible Online Education
The five-module program is self-paced. Most participants complete it in approximately 20–35 hours.
Proctored Final Exam
Administered and proctored online by the College for Financial Planning® — a Kaplan Company.
Hear What RSSAs® Are Saying About the Program
“Becoming a Registered Social Security Analyst® has opened doors to multiple clients and referrals. When I tell them I’m an RSSA®, they want to know more.”
Frank Garcia
“After completing the RSSA® program, I was immediately able to apply my Social Security knowledge to help a client make informed decisions about their benefits.”
Jeanine Kinzie
“Being able to help people get into a better position is so important, and I can do that because of the knowledge that being an RSSA® provides.”
Erin Fountain
“Having the RSSA® designation gives me more credibility and trust with clients. It’s not just about being a financial advisor—this shows I truly understand Social Security.”
Catherine Allen-Carlozo
Frequently Asked Questions
What Can I Do With RSSA® Training as a Legal Professional?
RSSA® training gives legal professionals the knowledge and software to evaluate Social Security claiming options, interpret benefit analyses, and help clients understand how Social Security may fit into broader legal and financial decisions. Attorneys should continue to work within the scope of their licenses, credentials, and professional responsibilities.
Are Attorneys Eligible to Earn the RSSA® Designation?
Yes. A Juris Doctor or attorney credential satisfies the RSSA® program’s professional eligibility requirement. After completing the education requirements and passing the RSSA® Final Exam, eligible participants can earn the Registered Social Security Analyst® designation.
Is RSSA® Useful if I Do Not Provide Financial Advice?
Yes. Social Security can affect many of the decisions legal professionals already help clients navigate. RSSA® training can help identify relevant benefit considerations, understand how different claiming options may affect a client, and recognize when Social Security should be considered alongside other legal or financial matters.
Is the RSSA® Program Approved for CLE Credit?
CLE requirements and approvals vary by jurisdiction. Participants should confirm whether the RSSA® program qualifies for continuing legal education credit with the applicable state or licensing authority before enrolling for that purpose.
How Much Time Does the RSSA® Program Take to Complete?
Most participants complete the five-module program in approximately 20 to 35 hours. The education is delivered online and is self-paced, allowing participants to work through the material around their existing professional schedule.
Does the Program Include Social Security Analysis Software?
Yes. RSSA® membership includes access to RSSA Roadmap®, which performs the calculations behind a Social Security analysis and helps professionals compare claiming options, evaluate household circumstances, and create client-friendly reports. The software supports the analysis, while RSSA® education teaches professionals how to interpret the results and turn them into meaningful client guidance.
Bring Social Security Knowledge Into the Moments That Matter Most
Recognize important issues earlier, ask more informed questions, and provide a more complete client experience during estate planning, aging, divorce, widowhood, disability, and other major life transitions.
Speak with our team about individual enrollment, law firm education, association partnerships, and enterprise opportunities.
Schedule a Call
Have Questions or want to see how the RSSA® Program fits into your practice?
Schedule a quick call with our team to walk through the program, software capabilities, and how other legal professionals are successfully implementing it into their practices.
Choose a TimeJD/Attorney Eligibility · Proctored by College for Financial Planning® — a Kaplan Company · Listed in the FINRA Professional Designations Database · SOC 2 Type 2 Compliant