Do I need an attorney??

[new-life9 0]

Hello all,

I am new here. I have recently become engaged to my fiancée who is a Honduran citizen living in Honduras so I began investigating the K-1 visa process. This site has been very helpful and I really appreciate all those who take the time to post and respond to posts. My first question is, should I hire an attorney to help with the process? It is not clear to me whether most people here are using attorneys or going it alone, so I guess I am very interested in all the stories, the good, the bad, and the ugly, from whoever is willing to share. I would be very interested in names of attorneys in case I go that route. Once I make the decision about an attorney, I am sure I will have other questions. I will keep everyone posted on my progress. And I do appreciate all the help.

Thanks,

K.

[canadian_wife 1,795]

This is a DIY site, so most people won't have an attorney. We started this process, before VJ, with a lawyer and the lawyer was not vested in our case. They delayed things, they spent days 'reviewing' our paperwork.

no one can say whether you NEED a lawyer, lawyers can be extremely helpful with difficult cases but if you have a simple case (no criminal record, no overstays, no illegal entries) then you can probably do it yourself

Good luck

[jrmejia 31]

After I was quoted $1,500 from a lawyer, I decided to do it myself.

[Dodi 69]

I hired an attorney and they made so many mistakes and gave us advice that was ILLEGAL that they cost us MONTHS in the process. If you've got a straightforward case, and an eye for detail, and don't mind doing the paperwork, save your money for your wedding or your future.

It's not that difficult to fill out the forms, especially with the guidance and advice you can get here at VJ.

Good luck!

[new-life9 0]

Thanks very much for the quick responses. I do sincerely appreciate any help. I will continue to look through this site and keep you posted.

Thanks again.

K.

[mandyu1 5]

welcome

As others have stated most of us on here are doing this ourselves. This is site is very resourceful and there are many knowledgeable people to help you along the way. I considered using a lawyer and the more I looked at what was required the more comfortable I felt I could do this on my own. Another thing I noticed too was that I had searched and read the reguirements and the various forms that needed to be filed and when I contacted several attorneys I was given informatoin I knew was incorrect because of the research I did, such as I was told by many that you can start this process immediately and you don't need anything from your fiance until later in the process, which is completely not true, there are forms that require their original signature from the beginning along with a recent passport type photo. So I would suggest that regardless what route you take you should still study up on the process and when/if you decide to go with an attorney ask them some detailed questions and see if it agrees with what you know or have learned. Good Luck!!

[keka 1]

I was afraid for do this alone so i ask for help . . they ask em for 5000 USD for "help me" some one else told me my happynes doesn´t have price , so yes he want more money than that . . finally we decide to do it alone and we are perfect now!! waiting the letter from embassy and of course that Ciudad Juarez open the doors again , just pay atention here and ask if you have a question many of us can help you out

Good luck!!!

[L&V 1]

Hello all,

I am new here. I have recently become engaged to my fiancée who is a Honduran citizen living in Honduras so I began investigating the K-1 visa process. This site has been very helpful and I really appreciate all those who take the time to post and respond to posts. My first question is, should I hire an attorney to help with the process? It is not clear to me whether most people here are using attorneys or going it alone, so I guess I am very interested in all the stories, the good, the bad, and the ugly, from whoever is willing to share. I would be very interested in names of attorneys in case I go that route. Once I make the decision about an attorney, I am sure I will have other questions. I will keep everyone posted on my progress. And I do appreciate all the help.

Thanks,

K.

We did not use a lawyer...primarily because we want to understand every aspects of this life changing process. The immigration process is a long one (not just for the K-1 visa portion, but also the adjustment of status (green card), and ultimately citizen ship.) AND the immigration process itself is already expensive.

Lawyers cost MORE money (for every step), and most don't have the time or the interest to dedicate to your case (someone mentioned - "they are not vested".)

They will claim expertise, but that's very far and few true.

They will not take ownership when THEY make mistakes.

Recommendation:

First, Read and research as much as you can in VJ. Most likely, you will find the answer here.

When post questions, be very specific and describe your situation clearly so people can help. Try not to ask questions because you're too lazy to do research on. NOTE - if a person doesn't want to invest in themself, he/she shouldn't expect others to.

I think I only posted 2 questions throughout the entire K-1 Visa process - but then found the answer for myself.

Good Luck!!!

[Alan-and-Ira 1]

We used a "third party's help" to fill our papers 3 years ago. Our case was pretty clear, without overstaying, criminal records and so on. As a result, due to "those guys"' mistake in the I-129F form, we got denied the K1 visa at the final step of the process... Now we got married and filed I-130 OURSELVES! But the result is a big 'red flag' on our new petition due to the previous denial. A lesson we learnt: never have the work done for you if you can DIY. A good thing from all this mess: our relationships have grown stronger due to the obstacles we overcame together!

Edited July 31, 2010 by Alan-and-Ira

[BelleSade 3]

I would only get a lawyer if either of you have a criminal record or children or some other special case like that. Otherwise, they can just delay things. Just realize that you might have to "front load" your first package... and by that I mean send extra evidence of the relationship.

[brykit 0]

Does your fiance have any reason to be inadmissible? Such as entering the US without inspection, over staying a visa, criminal background, DUI's, uses or used drugs in the past? If your fiance has no reason to be inadmissible you can do this yourself with the help of this site. If you hire a lawyer you'll still do all the research needed to fill in the forms and collect all the evidence to prove your relationship. If your fiance has a reason to be inadmissible then definitely hire a lawyer.

Edited August 1, 2010 by brykit

[new-life9 0]

Once again I would like to thank everyone who has responded. My fiancee has no criminal record or illegal immigration activity and has never even been to the US. She does not use drugs and has no kids. After reading these responses and other posts here we have decided not to use an attorney. The process seems pretty straight forward to me and there is a huge amount of useful information here and many people truely interested in helping. Thanks again for all the input. God bless you all.

K.

[brykit 0]

Yes, do it on your own. This site has a step by step guide to get you through it. Start collecting evidence of your relationship and start a good filing system to keep everything organized and a calendar to mark notes when you send and receive something. You'll be surprised what you need to dig up! Make copies of everything you send them. Good luck and spend the money you would have paid for a lawyer on your honeymoon.

Edited August 1, 2010 by brykit