I got a lawyer before I found this site. He sent me the i-129 forms for me and Elina today. THANK GOD (because of this sites info) that I noticed the forms were the wrong version....I am a cop so naturally I hate lawyers, but I thought it would be best to use one for this process. My question is basically, What should I say to this guy? All the forms look good and have all the right info etc. but they would have been rejected had I not noticed his error. Should i ask for a discount? I don't want my temper to get the best of me, because honestly I am pretty angry he doesn't know which forms to use. So I need guidance on what to say and how to say it.


also a side note, SLIM I have wanted to thank you for your response to a post I made a month or so back, it really helped me and Elina out, and I want you to know me and Elina both consider you and your wife friends.

Also, if any one knows how I can Get Elina in touch with some Russian women that she can talk to and visit maybe once she is in the states, that would be great

THANKS!

I have only heard awful things about the immigration lawyers, causing endlessly long delays - are there any GOOD lawyer stories out there?!

I would tell him politely but firmly you want your money back because you can do it on your own. Good luck!

I would avoid using a lawyer at all costs - for many reasons which have been discussed on here at length.

In short, unless you have special circumstances that complicate your case, you can do the job better, faster, and cheaper, than any lawyer you hire. It is NOT complicated to fill out some forms and send in your info as directed on the forms, esp. with the resources available on this site to help you.

I happened to do my I-129F BEFORE I found this site, and I didn't have any problems with the process at all. Same for many other people.

Always remember, no matter how much you pay someone to do your stuff for you, NO ONE has more interest in seeing your case through to a successful completion than YOU do.

In short, I'd tell the lawer, "take off, you hoser!"

Cheers!
AKDiver

How about "my application would have been rejected had I not noticed the error. I'm sure you can understand that I have no confidence in your ability to handle my fiance visa petition and I would like a complete refund."

Tell him that you've found his services unnecessary and would like to do it yourself. When he replies, "well, this is a really tough process, and USCIS is changing stuff all the time, you're better off having a lawyer on your side to represent you." you can say "oh yeah, just like how you sent me the wrong forms on the first try? No thanks, buddy. I think I have it down and I don't need your services any more. I'd like a refund."

Then he's going to tell you that he's spent over 6 hours already on your case, doing research, making calls, etc., just to ensure the right info and forms have been filled out, that the mistake was not made because of his oversight, but moreover, because of the ever-changing immigration process that we live in, in this post-9/11 world, and that his services are going to be invaluable down the road. And although he can't give you a refund at this time, your payment has already given you a discount on the future filing of your AOS, EAD, AP paperwork which will be attended to with the utmost of his attention.

FIRE HIS @$$!!! (Good luck getting your money back, though.)

This is a simple process. With VJ's help, and your everyday practice of doing legal paperwork, a lawyer is completely unnecessary.


(You're welcome for the past post that helped you out... whatever it was! When Elina gets here, please have her call Elena. I'm sure she would love to talk to any young women that speak Russian. That goes for anyone elses wives too!)

You won't get any money back from a lawyer, don't waste your breath. You are used to Gov't paperwork because of your job. Do it yourself. This stuff is pretty routine. Their job involves the laws that these forms are based upon.

I think that one reason immigration lawyers get a bad rap here is that filling out paperwork for routine cases isn't really their job. They have paralegals and and legal secretaries to do that.

Most of us are dealing with USCIS administrative procedures. This is not the same as a court, where law is the only important thing. For USCIS, their regulations and procedures are the important things. If you are facing a deportation hearing - you really need an immigration lawyer. Filling out forms, not so much.

I know many Russians in the US. Tell us about your fiance. What does she do? What is she planning to do here? My wife is getting a Master's degree now - studying here is a great way to jump-start a career, meet people, get used to how things work (many grad students are international - it is a great way to find your bearings here).

I'm sure my wife would be happy to answer any questions she has.

Use the words MALPRACTICE (which it clearly is) and "complaint to the bar" -- that will get his attention very quickly and let him know that you are not intimidated by the thought of fighting a lawyer.

You've probably already paid him a retainer, so you may as well use up the costs as it is very unlikely he will refund your money. But, I would prepare the forms as they are available on the USCIS web site and then give him a rather curt letter that you are disappointed in his professionalism. State that you expected better and that if this ever happens again you will report him to the BAR association.

It is probably his lazy staff but he should have known the application had changed. So a letter to him informing about the changes puts him on notice. You should also keep a copy of the letter and date it. You might need it, if this happens again. Reporting him to the BAR association is not a small matter.

If you are in Northern California, then your fiancee will have many people and places to visit and meet Russian speaking people. I can't help you much with So. Cal.

The only Russian person in the US I know is myself But I'm in Northern CA, and I'll be happy to help Just let me know!

P.S. They say there's a huge Russian-speaking community in SF Bay Area.

Our case became more complicated (for reasons that aren't important for this discussion).

I'm confident in my ability to fill out paperwork. I did meet with an attorney several times to ask questions, which was very helpful. I paid by the hour. Our questions were typed in an agenda for these meetings, and I took notes.

Don't just put with stuff. There are times when you have to speak your mind. I know you are concerned for your finacee', but one thing you have to consider is.....if you do not speak up, who is to say that the mistakes won't continue?

I must have had a certain way of getting under my "former" lawyer's skin...I was always checking up on her (I knew what the NVC or USCIS was doing before her), and unfortunately (I say that because I REALLY wish she knew more)......I often found myself correcting her mistakes, bringing up things she wasn't aware of, etc...

I think in the end, she got tired of being checked up on so much.......and the last few weeks that I retained her, I was quite critical of mistakes she made and should have been aware of when we recently got an RFE from the NVC. (missing items in the DS-230 like not including my name with the address, leaving "gaps" in my wife's residence history etc..........also not knowing the Ankara embassy needed 'original" certificates and not copies........ignoring me bringing up the fact that I had read that the NVC would need an original police certificate (I actually told her that at a meeting we had), she said we didn't need one, ignored what I told her...and a month later we got an RFE for it.

We finally had a falling out and I am no longer using her, and am doing the rest of the process myself. After seeing what a law firm actually does, and the time that they give to cases (which is not much.....no one will care as much as "you....."you" will give more care to your case than ANY law firm ever will.. I learned that the hard way.) ...I am not so much in awe of law firms or overestimate the abilities anymore. I always had believed what many people had said, and that hiring a lawyer would help ensure a smooth case. Not any more......

So....bottom line is, if things get to the point where you have lost confidence in your lawyer to the point where you are concerned about more possible future mistakes, then "speak up".

It worked for me................and I was also able to get half of my "retainer" back (They sent me a check in the mail). I could have tried to get ALL of my money back, but I think considering the firm did do some work, getting 50% back was fair.

So, although I agree with some of the others who have written and said in that it is difficult to get a "discount" or money back, it CAN be done. If you are convinced the errors were their fault, I'd start complaining. Don't be rude...don't get too angry.........but write a letter (or several letters like I did , call , go in person...do what you have to do. .

You may not get your money back.......but you also have to think real hard if retaining a guy, even after you paid him, is still worth it in the long run if he seems incabable of doing a good job.

If you do decide to keep him.......check up on him often. (Call the NVC, USCIS, embassy etc...).

Good luck.

By the way, I was able to do all the paperwork by myself, even though I am the immigrating spouse So even a foreigner who has little experience with American paperwork can fill out all the forms correctly. It's not that hard, but requires efforts and attention.

It's true, go to:
http://baraban.com/

I had a lawyer to start but eventually he disolved the arrangement and gave me a full refund. I kept asking things like won't this add time to an already long process (he was not in the USA) and when he would not answer the question to my satisfaction I asked him for copies of all correpsondence plus evelopes which would have post marks on them. To me this is no different than asking a car mechanic for the old parts the pull out of your car when they say something needs to be replaced. He felt I was questioning his integrity (or that is what he said) and gave me my money back. I finished the process no problems and believe it went faster with out the lawyer than having the lawyer.

Paul misses Anna

We used a lawyer for the first part but we are handling AOS ourselves. My lawyer was local and recommended by many other people, she specialized in immigration law and her fees were not high. My sister knows a lot of the local legal community and checked on my lawyer and found her to get high marks from everyone she talked to. The best part was that it was a flat fee for the process not an hourly charge, so it was in the lawyers best interest to process things correctly the first time. Also Elena would love to talk to other Russian women Im sure, I have had some trouble locating local women most of our immigrants are central and south american.