Appeal deadline questions after an unemployment denial

My claim was denied after 21 weeks of waiting, and the letter says I have a short window to appeal. I worked as a social media manager before this. I have not done a hearing before and I am nervous. Should I ask someone for free legal help?

File the appeal before the deadline, even if you are unsure. You can gather documents afterwards. That is the one part I would not wait on.

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it 6 months ago, and it settled down once I kept a simple log of every call and form.