lawyer or not?

[ms_jinga_lala 0]

I'm just curious how many of you had lawyers and how your processing of the K-1 went whether you had one or not? And by that I mean if you didn't use a lawyer do you feel like it was stressful, difficult, not that bad, etc. And if you had a lawyer did you feel comfortable during the filing process? And would you recommend getting a lawyer and why?

[aravis227 1]

We did not use a lawyer. Our case was very straightforward, lots of evidence of meeting including pictures, receipts, boarding passes, etc. We filed at CSC in February, got our NOA2 in July (5 months to the day from our NOA1), and had our interview in September. It was not that bad at all, I think it would have been more stressful for me to have used a lawyer because I wouldn't have been the one receiving all of the information. I liked knowing exactly what was happening as opposed to waiting for it to filter through a lawyer who wouldn't have been making it as high a priority as I did. Unless there is something really odd or difficult about your case, I would definitely recommend just filing it yourself. With the information on VJ it's really easy and there are always people to give you advice.

[Smallz 0]

I'm just curious how many of you had lawyers and how your processing of the K-1 went whether you had one or not? And by that I mean if you didn't use a lawyer do you feel like it was stressful, difficult, not that bad, etc. And if you had a lawyer did you feel comfortable during the filing process? And would you recommend getting a lawyer and why?

Hey,

We filed for K-1. Did everything without a lawyer, cause didn't feel like spending money on something we can do. I did a lot of research before, this webpage helps a lot. I wouldn't say it was easy, but wasn't difficult either, u just have to be prepared to do some work, be careful filing paperwork and pay attention to details.

It's gonna be stressful whether u hire a lawyer or do it yourself. The whole process makes you stressed But it's worth it.

[LorriQ 0]

We did hire a lawyer, as we had a possible overstay (6 weeks) issue and thought it best to have back-up. I did give her completely filled out forms and documents and she basically put her seal and signature on it. But, she has been giving me moral support through email and phone calls as well. So I think in the long run I am happy with her services on the K-1, just a few minor meltdowns on my part.

Will we retain her for the AOS - prob not. There is enough information and support on Visa Journey for us to complete the process!

[Morning Sunshine 0]

I'm just curious how many of you had lawyers and how your processing of the K-1 went whether you had one or not? And by that I mean if you didn't use a lawyer do you feel like it was stressful, difficult, not that bad, etc. And if you had a lawyer did you feel comfortable during the filing process? And would you recommend getting a lawyer and why?

Hello~We used a lawyer for our K3 and it has seemed to be a waste of $. I think you can use the guides on this site and save that $ for future expenses. I used this lawyer: http://usavisanow.com and basically they just did the paperwork and you had to send it back to them signed. It actually slows you down. If I had did it myself my NOA1 would be in the June or July timeframe instead of August. I do not think you need a lawyer unless your case is significantly different than most. What I mean by that is if there is underlying problems such as overstayed visas, previous visas had been filed by the petitioner, the petitioner has been married multiple times, or you are afraid you can not do it on your own correctly. Actually assembling the package is easy with the guidelines on this site and the people here can help you. Most of the people on here are pretty eager to assist others. I would not use a lawyer if I had to do over again. My thoughts to you would be to save $ and use the $ for other immigration fees and do the paperwork on your own. Lawyers do not speed up the process, they actually slow you down and as we all know in this process time is everything. The process is slow for most of us as it is, why slow things down more. If you need any help just ask us here on VJ.

Mahitab

Edited December 4, 2008 by ~Dream Love~

[ms_jinga_lala 0]

Thank you all so much!! We don't have any special circumstances other than I have been previously divorce, but I don't think that's a problem as I have plenty of paperwork related to that and it was a simple, quick divorce with no mess. I'm about $3000 short on the financial requirements for this year but I own a house worth $90,000 and I don't owe but about half that so I'm not worried that. You guys are awesome.

[Nich-Nick 3,353]

No lawyer. I advise you to read, read, read all the guides, flowchart, example forms, tips, embassy info, etc.(all up there in the menu bar.) There's alot to be found in the Wiki articles too and most people never look at those. If you see a good tip that you're going to need down the road, print it or bookmark it. Make notes of good information. Get some folders to keep your papers organized. When you finish a step, start reading ahead and preparing for the next so you aren't slowing your case down by not being ready.

[Morning Sunshine 0]

Thank you all so much!! We don't have any special circumstances other than I have been previously divorce, but I don't think that's a problem as I have plenty of paperwork related to that and it was a simple, quick divorce with no mess. I'm about $3000 short on the financial requirements for this year but I own a house worth $90,000 and I don't owe but about half that so I'm not worried that. You guys are awesome.

Yes, I was divorced too. All you need to do is submit copies of your entire divorce documents with your application. It is pretty simple. If you need further help feel free to contact me and if you like do check out the Dust Collector's Spreadsheet thread-we have K1 filers on there in our spreadsheet too. You are welcome to join us in the waiting game!

Mahitab

[RadzNSteve 0]

we didnt use a laywer and I didnt find this site until 2 months after we filed, The only thing i didnt do the site recommeds is put cover sheets on the documents, oh we filed K1 by the way. Well it appears the cover sheets were not needed because we got approved with no RFE's. But I still think the cover sheets are a good idea, and if I was to do it over i would use the cover sheets

[MARM 7]

We hired an attorney for our K-1 process, and found this site about 3 months later, wish we had found this site sooner...

The attorney is not giving us any problems, was pretty smooth in the process and quick in terms of time to get things done properly, but we could have saved $500 if we found this site earlier.

Everything is explained well in the guides, and if you have any questions, ask away!

Also, I would like to quote our much-loved moderator KimandRuss here: "...it's your decision to make but nobody is going to work for you as well as YOU."

Best of luck, and the VJ family is always here for you!

[msu17 0]

Didn't use a lawyer. Was perhaps a bit more stressful, but once it's sent off there's nothing you can really do either way. For most filers, using a lawyer is basically paying someone $1000 to fill out paperwork for you. There are situations with overstays, illegal entry etc. that having a lawyer is useful if not necessary. If you are a fairly standard case, a lawyer is good if you don't have the time to fill out paperwork, are so non-detail oriented that you can't follow basic instructions or are too lazy or nervous to do it yourself. Meeting with a lawyer for a consultation to discuss your case can always be a good idea though, just to make sure there are no problems that could pop. Good luck with whatever you decide.

Oh, and if you do choose to use a lawyer, make sure to get good references for K visas. There are lots of lawyers out there who will take your case, think they can do it and sit on their buts or follow the procedure for a different type of visa and seriously delay your case. MAKE SURE TO GET A QUALIFIED LAWYER FOR A K-1 VISA!

[Jasman0717 8]

I did everything myself and had one small glitch on lifting conditions. Duh, I used an older form. Just check with the USCIS forms website. The guides here on VJ really are excellent and then if you have questions you have thousands of close friends to help you

[Yader&Sarah 0]

We are using a lawyer. Our case was a little confusing because of some mis-information on a previously filed visitors visa. So we decided to play it safe. I also got ridiculously stressed out, to the point of being chronically ill. So I also wouldn't recommend that.

If you have the money and are prone to 'high stress' or have anything that is abnormal concerning your case, I would seek solace in the experts (but make you actually find an expert, someone who comes recommended and has filed cases recently for benificiaries from the same country/consulate).

But, if you are a good reader and have lots of zoloft, I would trust in the guidelines and forums of VJ!

[ms_jinga_lala 0]

Thank you all so much for all of your help. I really appreciate it!

[maggieNomar 0]

I used a lawyer because I did not find visajourney until after I had filed. However, I probably would have used one anyway as I had previously done AOS (not initial visa though) for someone and wanted to be sure all my bases were covered. I think most cases can be done by reading and following the guides, and asking questions along the way. I used the guide exclusively when we did AOS and had no problems.