Bad lawyer experience-please help!

[emberiza 0]

Hello everyone!

We hired Holmes & Lolly lawyer office to take care of our K1-visa and had bad experience from them. First it did weeks for them to send our application to USCIS. It turned out that the paralegal who was assigned to our case was sick for some time and our case was dusting on her desk! After many phone calls my fiance found this out and someone else was assigned to our case. And they started to ask for a document we had already sent them and it took a long time to convince them of this! Eventually they sent our application to California Service center. It is very hard to get any reply from them to any question and they are really rude! They definately just don't care.

We are waiting for the NOA2 approval now.

If we decide to request all our documents back from the lawyer office and discontinue their services before we get NOA2, is that possible? I mean if we inform USCIS that we are no longer using the services of Holmes and Lolly mentioned in the K1 application? And what is the phone number or fax number where we can contact USCIS?

I'd be really grateful for your replies!! =)

[Richard and Aida 0]

Hello everyone!

We hired Holmes & Lolly lawyer office to take care of our K1-visa and had bad experience from them. First it did weeks for them to send our application to USCIS. It turned out that the paralegal who was assigned to our case was sick for some time and our case was dusting on her desk! After many phone calls my fiance found this out and someone else was assigned to our case. And they started to ask for a document we had already sent them and it took a long time to convince them of this! Eventually they sent our application to California Service center. It is very hard to get any reply from them to any question and they are really rude! They definately just don't care.

We are waiting for the NOA2 approval now.

If we decide to request all our documents back from the lawyer office and discontinue their services before we get NOA2, is that possible? I mean if we inform USCIS that we are no longer using the services of Holmes and Lolly mentioned in the K1 application? And what is the phone number or fax number where we can contact USCIS?

I'd be really grateful for your replies!! =)

Thank you so much for the info on Holmes and Lolly.Wow I was ready to hire them and I dont know how but I camr across your letter while I was waiting for a call from them!Good luck.

Richard

[Mrs D. 13]

Hello everyone!

We hired Holmes & Lolly lawyer office to take care of our K1-visa and had bad experience from them. First it did weeks for them to send our application to USCIS. It turned out that the paralegal who was assigned to our case was sick for some time and our case was dusting on her desk! After many phone calls my fiance found this out and someone else was assigned to our case. And they started to ask for a document we had already sent them and it took a long time to convince them of this! Eventually they sent our application to California Service center. It is very hard to get any reply from them to any question and they are really rude! They definately just don't care.

We are waiting for the NOA2 approval now.

If we decide to request all our documents back from the lawyer office and discontinue their services before we get NOA2, is that possible? I mean if we inform USCIS that we are no longer using the services of Holmes and Lolly mentioned in the K1 application? And what is the phone number or fax number where we can contact USCIS?

I'd be really grateful for your replies!! =)

Thank you so much for the info on Holmes and Lolly.Wow I was ready to hire them and I dont know how but I camr across your letter while I was waiting for a call from them!Good luck.

Richard

If you guys consider hiring another lawyer, I could give you the details of mine to look at. He got my K1 through in 6 months and now working on my AOS (gave a discount too). Had no problem with him at all. Always deals with me personally (no assistants) and very straight forward and quick to reply. Reviews the documents before you send them to him (so no mailing back and forth) and gets it out of his office within 48 hours.

[BernetteandWyatt 0]

Hello everyone!

We hired Holmes & Lolly lawyer office to take care of our K1-visa and had bad experience from them. First it did weeks for them to send our application to USCIS. It turned out that the paralegal who was assigned to our case was sick for some time and our case was dusting on her desk! After many phone calls my fiance found this out and someone else was assigned to our case. And they started to ask for a document we had already sent them and it took a long time to convince them of this! Eventually they sent our application to California Service center. It is very hard to get any reply from them to any question and they are really rude! They definately just don't care.

We are waiting for the NOA2 approval now.

If we decide to request all our documents back from the lawyer office and discontinue their services before we get NOA2, is that possible? I mean if we inform USCIS that we are no longer using the services of Holmes and Lolly mentioned in the K1 application? And what is the phone number or fax number where we can contact USCIS?

I'd be really grateful for your replies!! =)

Hello there! My fiance used the service of a lawyer too,and before he did we checked everything we could find about the firm.Since we are getting a lawyer from California we went into the State Bar of California's website if she(lawyer) can legally practice law there.Thank God that she was there because believe me Ive encountered lots of websites masquerading as immigration experts when in fact they are not.We were on the verge of hiring this firm whose site was screaming success but when we did our own background it turned out that it was really the site of a firm specializing in family/divorce law.Go to AILA's website because you will find great immigration lawyers there who wont charge too much.

Goodluck to us!God bless!!!!

[emberiza 0]

Thank you for your replies!

About Holmes & Lolly....I actually read some other reviews on Holmes & Lolly and seems that we we're not the only ones who've been getting bad "service" from them.....

God bless you all!

[Dakine 26]

Unless you have unusual circimstances. No need for a lawyer as K1 visas are very easy to do.

[Enlighten one :) 5]

I fired my lawyer in the middle. You have to write a letter to the USCIS to remove them from your case. I also used the change of address feature to change the lawyers address to mine. I just put his address as the old address and mine as the new. so both address were mine. this was suggest from a uscis operater.

You do not nead a lawyer unless you have a sticky case. My lawyer did the same thing to me as they did to you. they really know nothing more then many experience and seasoned VJers.

God luck....

Thank you for your replies!

About Holmes & Lolly....I actually read some other reviews on Holmes & Lolly and seems that we we're not the only ones who've been getting bad "service" from them.....

God bless you all!

[Robert and Masha 0]

Thank you for your replies!

About Holmes & Lolly....I actually read some other reviews on Holmes & Lolly and seems that we we're not the only ones who've been getting bad "service" from them.....

God bless you all!

Not to dredge up an ol post (1 week) but we are new to this forum and plan to stay a bit and wanted to get my two cents in here...

Despite the horror strories of which most are true the lack of action on our friends behalf caused my wife, I and a different friend of mine who is an attorney to start our own agency regarding k1/k3 visas. Our friend Leroy had to wait 15 months for his petition to be approved and could not get any recourse. Of course the good news to this is the motivating counter actions that have transpired since that time back in 2004. Masha was actually 'called in' by the russian fiancee to see if her american fiance was legit or not. Bad situation to be sure. In the end it got worked out but not by H&L.

Our suggestion either do it yourself or do your homework before hiring an agency.

Robert and Masha

[BigCityDave 0]

Another reason we did not go the lawyer route.

Lawyers are only needed if you have a complicated situation.

[Devkpaik 1]

Another reason we did not go the lawyer route.

Lawyers are only needed if you have a complicated situation.

Someone else posted this as well, that lawyers are only needed if you have a complicated situation.

This is simply NOT true. In no way am I advocating the use of lawyers, and in no way am I bashing the use of lawyers, however it is entirely up to the petitioner and the beneficiary.

I know PLENTY of people who dont have a "complicated" case, me included, that used the assistance of a lawyer. Some people want to make sure the process gets done with absolutely no mistakes (although there are lawyers out there who make mistakes) and others like me don't have enough time to organize all the documents and want to make sure that there is a trained professional doing this.

I am a student and felt better knowing that a lawyer was organizing our papers, etc., and so far we've had no problems.

Of course there are lawyers out there who claim they are lawyers but in fact are not.

so no, lawyers are NOT only needed if you have a complicated situation, there are many other reasons a lawyer would be used.

[motu 6]

I agree with littleasianman (why choose such a name why not bigfantsticguy?) Friends of ours who live 5 minutes from our house and used the K1 process to get her here three months after I did, hired a lawyer and paid $3000 or so for a K1 and then more for AOS, even when I told him that he can take my forms and papers and do it himself! To him its like doing taxes - he would rather pay somebody $500 or more than do it himself (say online for $40).

But for me, I would rather take that money and use it for fun - we took trips to Mexico, Panama, Colombia and India (well it took a little more money than the savings from the lawyers!) Do what makes you comfortable, lawyers are like plumbers - if you can fix your toilet yourself you can save a few bucks else pay someone else to do the dirty/hard work.

[BigCityDave 0]

Another reason we did not go the lawyer route.

Lawyers are only needed if you have a complicated situation.

Someone else posted this as well, that lawyers are only needed if you have a complicated situation.

This is simply NOT true. In no way am I advocating the use of lawyers, and in no way am I bashing the use of lawyers, however it is entirely up to the petitioner and the beneficiary.

I know PLENTY of people who dont have a "complicated" case, me included, that used the assistance of a lawyer. Some people want to make sure the process gets done with absolutely no mistakes (although there are lawyers out there who make mistakes) and others like me don't have enough time to organize all the documents and want to make sure that there is a trained professional doing this.

I am a student and felt better knowing that a lawyer was organizing our papers, etc., and so far we've had no problems.

Of course there are lawyers out there who claim they are lawyers but in fact are not.

so no, lawyers are NOT only needed if you have a complicated situation, there are many other reasons a lawyer would be used.

Correct, a lawyer could be for anyone. I just know that most lawyers dont care if your case gets accepted or denied.

[sara..... 371]

Another reason we did not go the lawyer route.

Lawyers are only needed if you have a complicated situation.

Someone else posted this as well, that lawyers are only needed if you have a complicated situation.

This is simply NOT true. In no way am I advocating the use of lawyers, and in no way am I bashing the use of lawyers, however it is entirely up to the petitioner and the beneficiary.

I know PLENTY of people who dont have a "complicated" case, me included, that used the assistance of a lawyer. Some people want to make sure the process gets done with absolutely no mistakes (although there are lawyers out there who make mistakes) and others like me don't have enough time to organize all the documents and want to make sure that there is a trained professional doing this.

I am a student and felt better knowing that a lawyer was organizing our papers, etc., and so far we've had no problems.

Of course there are lawyers out there who claim they are lawyers but in fact are not.

so no, lawyers are NOT only needed if you have a complicated situation, there are many other reasons a lawyer would be used.

Correct, a lawyer could be for anyone. I just know that most lawyers dont care if your case gets accepted or denied.

well i have my own opinion about lawyers at least ours our attorney promised a refund if we do not receive a visa......in reality one of two things is the reason ONE: he will find a way to blame it on us....or TWO: he gets so many clients like a mill that if one fails its ok.........

[BigCityDave 0]

Another reason we did not go the lawyer route.

Lawyers are only needed if you have a complicated situation.

Someone else posted this as well, that lawyers are only needed if you have a complicated situation.

This is simply NOT true. In no way am I advocating the use of lawyers, and in no way am I bashing the use of lawyers, however it is entirely up to the petitioner and the beneficiary.

I know PLENTY of people who dont have a "complicated" case, me included, that used the assistance of a lawyer. Some people want to make sure the process gets done with absolutely no mistakes (although there are lawyers out there who make mistakes) and others like me don't have enough time to organize all the documents and want to make sure that there is a trained professional doing this.

I am a student and felt better knowing that a lawyer was organizing our papers, etc., and so far we've had no problems.

Of course there are lawyers out there who claim they are lawyers but in fact are not.

so no, lawyers are NOT only needed if you have a complicated situation, there are many other reasons a lawyer would be used.

Correct, a lawyer could be for anyone. I just know that most lawyers dont care if your case gets accepted or denied.

well i have my own opinion about lawyers at least ours our attorney promised a refund if we do not receive a visa......in reality one of two things is the reason ONE: he will find a way to blame it on us....or TWO: he gets so many clients like a mill that if one fails its ok.........

Exactly, lawyers became lawyers for money not to help people out.

Well, sorry that might no really be true but that is why most of them are working.

Edited June 1, 2008 by BigCityDave

[Jeraly 4]

Unless you have unusual circimstances. No need for a lawyer as K1 visas are very easy to do.

Another reason we did not go the lawyer route.

Lawyers are only needed if you have a complicated situation.

I must say I agree with both of the above - we were totally confused by the whole process when we started and we just picked things up along the way. I guess it is down to personal preference but from the stories I have read, I am glad we decided to do things ourselves.