Should we get an attorney?

[Cristina375 7]

My husband filed our petition in august 2013. We received 2 RFEs since...still waiting for USCIS to receive the reply to second one. My husband is really bad with filing documents and absolutely hates paperwork...he was honest about that from the start.

From what I've read here we still have a very long road ahead and whats hard is still to come.

Would it be wise AND faster to just hire someone to take care of the paperwork PROPERLY? Someone who actually knows what they are doing?

Or is it just a waste of money?

[christeen 966]

It's not a waste of money IF his mishandling of the paperwork results in denial... Then I would say it is a good investment... Perhaps you can take the lead?

[Ebunoluwa 6,136]

He will still have to do the leg work and gather the documents and supporting evidence and the lawyer will just send it in and collect his fee.

Lawyers have also caused many people to get RFE's and delays in the process.
My suggestion is for him to focus and understand that most of us hate paperwork but we still get it together an get with it because we

want to be with our loved ones.
The VJ community is enough to get the job done if certain steps of a situation are unclear.

I suggest that if he gets a lawyer to be on top of the lawyer and make sure things are done correctly and that kind of

negates the whole thing of hiring one anyway.

There is excellent advice here but one has to be willing to put in the time to search it out.

In a nut shell, just having a lawyer does not guarantee it will be one efficiently and correct.

[Ning 619]

My husband filed our petition in august 2013. We received 2 RFEs since...still waiting for USCIS to receive the reply to second one. My husband is really bad with filing documents and absolutely hates paperwork...he was honest about that from the start.

From what I've read here we still have a very long road ahead and whats hard is still to come.

Would it be wise AND faster to just hire someone to take care of the paperwork PROPERLY? Someone who actually knows what they are doing?

Or is it just a waste of money?

It may be that you do need an lawyer but keep in mind they will require exactly the same info from you both that you are having to input on the forms. This means the lawyer becomes a filter for the info and a scribe or clerical worker. Hiring the lawyer wont end the misery nor mystery connected to the case.

[Warri_Gurl 2]

I simple believe its a waste of resources because you will have to gather all information for the lawyer to put together when you could do it yourself.

[Cristina375 7]

thats what i thought as well...thank you all so much for input!

[NikLR 13,220]

You could do the paperwork and send it to him to sign as needed. That's pretty much what my husband and I did. Not because he's bad with paperwork but because he's a huge procrastinator. I am more organized and more of a planner personality.

[Cristina375 7]

You could do the paperwork and send it to him to sign as needed. That's pretty much what my husband and I did. Not because he's bad with paperwork but because he's a huge procrastinator. I am more organized and more of a planner personality.

Thats kinda what we did but my dear husband forgot to include documents that i have prepared...like both our divorce papers...thats our 2 RFEs so far...first was for mine, second for his...

Im honestly terrified to learn what else he forgot to send...

[NikLR 13,220]

Oh goodness, at that point, yes getting a lawyer IMHO would be a good idea.

[Virtuous45 31]

As the OPs said, I don't think you need a lawyer. What you could do is go over the documents together via Skype or Yahoo video chat. If you don't have eady acces to that, schedule a time to do so. Have a copy of the checklist in front of you and read them off, while he on the other side is putting them in the envelope. My husband is very meticulous with paper work, but I we prepared our package together via video chat, where I used my checklist to help him put the documents together and I watched him like sn hawk, then ticked.

My stomach would go into knots if we were to get RFEs, so I can imagine how you feel. Bringing in a lawyer at this time would be adding more hoops for you to jump through, while you still have to pay him. Watching my husband via video helped me to see what he was doing. Maybe it will help you too.
As the OPs said, I don't think you need a lawyer. What you could do is go over the documents together via Skype or Yahoo video chat. If you don't have eady acces to that, schedule a time to do so. Have a copy of the checklist in front of you and read them off, while he on the other side is putting them in the envelope. My husband is very meticulous with paper work, but I we prepared our package together via video chat, where I used my checklist to help him put the documents together and I watched him like sn hawk, then ticked.

Edited June 9, 2014 by Kathryn41
duplicated text removed for clarity

[NikLR 13,220]

That is a good idea.

[Virtuous45 31]

Sorry for the double posting..using my phone.

[Ning 619]

Thats kinda what we did but my dear husband forgot to include documents that i have prepared...like both our divorce papers...thats our 2 RFEs so far...first was for mine, second for his...

Im honestly terrified to learn what else he forgot to send...

While the RFEs are not good they do serve to indicate your case is being adjudicated. No one wants any case to drag on but at least as the case proceeds you can be sure the file is complete which will help you in the future even though it doesn't seem so now.

There are some very good ideas here that should help you so I hope you will use them.

[laurenmy 0]

I used a lawyer for that very reason: I am terrible with paperwork and I get too stressed out. I filled out questionnaires online for my lawyer and then HE filled out the forms. Online, I reviewed the packet that he put together before he sent it off. He guided me about how much bona fide marriage proof I needed, cut the checks, told me what other documents I needed, and put together a professional packet. I loved filling out the questionnaires opposed to the actual forms. Id be too scared I'd fill out the wrong thing in the wrong place.

So, yes, lawyers and paralegals can make mistakes as far as data entry, but you wont forget anything with a good lawyer. You should get well aquatinted with the process, too. But you can leave the stress work of filling out forms, and gathering the correct documents to them. There will be no second guessing as long as you review little things like biological and job information on the forms they fill.

[Gosia & Tito 199]

Thats kinda what we did but my dear husband forgot to include documents that i have prepared...like both our divorce papers...thats our 2 RFEs so far...first was for mine, second for his...

Im honestly terrified to learn what else he forgot to send...

With RFE's already on going, I would think getting a lwyer at this point is not worth it. All they would do is review what was sent. The good news is that so far, all the RFEs are about are missing docs, which do lengthen the process but provided documentaion is available, the process would continue.

What I'd suggest is go over the VJ "cover letter" sample in the IR1CR1 guides and use that as a check list of what was sent. At the very least you will find if something else was missing. You guys do have a duplicate of the package sent, don't you? To run the check list I mean.

Worst case scenario would be a rejected application, but presumably for lack of some document. A new filing would correct that, yet at several months delay..