docmydispute · government
The agency decided. You get to answer.
Every decision letter, every reference number, every call where you waited an hour — dated and kept in one record. Then the request for review, and the oversight body above them.
A tool of record — not legal advice.
Is this you?
Is this happening to you?
A decision arrived, and it is wrong. If this is where you are:
- A denial letter with a reference number and no real reason
- Being told to reapply, with nothing explaining what was missing
- Hours on hold, and no record of what anyone told you
- Documents submitted twice, and no acknowledgement of either
- A review deadline printed in small type on the last page
An agency review is decided on the record — the decision letter, the reference numbers, the dates you submitted, and what you were told. That is the thing this app builds.
How it works
Three steps.
Keep the record
Log every call, letter, and submission the moment it happens — the reference number, the date, and who you spoke to.
Request the review
The assistant drafts the request from your record, not from thin air. You review and approve every word before it goes.
Escalate, with proof
Still wrong? Take a complete, dated case file to the agency’s Inspector General or ombudsman — the whole history, in order.
What to gather
For a dispute with a government agency, these are the documents people usually need. A guide, not a requirement — add whatever you have.
- Application/permit documents
- Government correspondence
- Decision letters
- Reference numbers
- Timeline of submissions
When you hand it over
One file. The whole story, in order.
Whether it goes to the agency’s review team, an Inspector General, an administrative hearing, or a lawyer, they all want the same thing: what happened, on what date, with the reference numbers attached. Not a folder of screenshots.
A dated record of every exchange
Each call, letter, and submission — attributed to the side that made it.
The request you sent, as you sent it
Drafted from your record, reviewed by you, kept with the rest.
The evidence, indexed and attached
Decision letters, reference numbers, and your submission timeline — numbered and referenced.
It never invents events. The words are yours to approve.
Questions
Disputing a government agency decision
- What is the first step when an agency decision goes against me?
- Ask, in writing, for the reasons for the decision and for the agency’s internal review. Your decision letter should name the process and the deadline. Note the date the decision was issued — the clock usually runs from there.
- What is an Inspector General or agency ombudsman?
- An oversight office inside the department itself, separate from the team that made the decision. You would go to them once the agency’s own internal review has not resolved matters. Reviews commonly take 30 to 60 days.
- What is an administrative hearing?
- A formal review of the agency’s decision, more structured than an internal review but not a court. It commonly takes 90 to 180 days. Beyond it, judicial review in federal court may be available.
- What should I keep when dealing with an agency?
- Every application or permit document, all correspondence, every decision letter, all reference and case numbers, and a timeline of what you submitted and when. Keep dated notes of each phone call, including how long you held and who you spoke to.
- What does docmydispute actually do?
- It keeps a dated record of every exchange with the agency, drafts the request for review from that record for you to review before sending, and compiles a complete case file you can hand to an oversight office or a lawyer. It is a tool of record — it does not give legal advice.
Other situations
Dealing with more than one thing?
docmydispute works the same way for any dispute where someone has more power than you. A few others: