Attorney or easy to do alone?

[Cmptrsdeal 76]

Do you think the whole AOS process is something that can be difficult that it'd be best to have an attorney help out or is it easy enough to do on your own? Can anyone maybe give me pros and cons of this process comparing the 2? Thank you!

[MissDinaDee 8]

AOS, AP, etc. are easy enough to complete on your own especially with the guides and wiki pages here on VJ. The two biggest cons to having a lawyer is that you are waiting on them to do paperwork as well as your participating agency not to mention the unnecessary costs involved.

I strongly believe that if you have gotten this far the rest is manageable on your own!

Good luck!

MrsJ

[medasman 0]

yes alone if you have question ask them here

[pasaway na angel 2]

The AOS, EAD and AP process is simple enough that you can do them on your own just by following the instructions provided by the USCIS on the forms. Also, if you have questions about things, VJ is a good site for you coz you can get answers from people who have experienced the process and the moral support is there too. If your situation is not complicated, doing it on your own is the best way.

Good Luck on your journey!

[EmmillJ 1]

Honestly, learn from my mistake. Our lawyer waited 3 months before mailing out the COMPLETED application my husband and I gave to him to look over before mailing it out. He made no changes to it, filed no g-28 (the form a lawyer would file to alert USCIS that he was representing us), and cost us 3 months of waiting time.

If you don't have a strange case don't bother. The good folks here are more than happy to help you every step of the way.

[sun flower 3]

I would suggest you probably not hire an attorney but findout about Catholic Charities, they filled all the forms you need and also attach all the documents required, and fast while we were in their office. A friend gave to me their phone number because they filled his documentation too and with no problems he got his employment authorization and his green card. It is not so expensible, they asked me $ 400.- and we prefered to pay instead to make any little mistake that would cost us a trouble.

[dragonlover 6]

I think you can do that by yourself..its just easy! goodluck!

[ceadsearc 516]

A lawyer really is not necessary unless you have some sort of extenuating circumstances that may potentially complicate your situation. If your situation is just a straightforward AOS, no reason to pay for a lawyer, though of course if you can afford it and it gives you peace of mind that's fine too.

[rsn 135]

Note that this is a DIY website, so you are unlikely to find anyone here who suggests using a lawyer. If you went into a forum filled with lawyers, you would likely be told that a lawyer is mandatory. This is a decision you will need to make for yourself. This decision, along with all of the other work, will require research and patience. If you aren't up to that, than the DIY route is not for you.

[Brit Abroad 166]

Here's a couple of questions to ponder:

1. How much are you going to have to pay a lawyer?

2. What can the lawyer do that you can't?

Put simply, the lawyer asks YOU for the information to fill in the forms. The lawyer asks YOU to accumulate all the documentary evidence to be sent in with your application. The lawyer then mails in YOUR hard work and reaps the payday for it.

Unless there are potential problems with your application itself, (and it's easy enough to find those out if you read the GUIDES section at the top of the page here, go to uscis.gov and print out the notes and forms themselves and read through), it's silly to spend good money for someone else to fill in a form and check off supporting documents, don't you think?

You can do the forms easily, and VJ is excellent at advice if you have questions.

[NoneYa 73]

It all depends on you. You have all the tools with visajourney.com. I read and read this web site and I am confident that I will do a better job than most lawyers. Not everybody will though. I did have one issue of concern so I contacted a lawyer and one asked for $ 300 to get started and the other asked for $ 100 for a consulation. I wrote them both back and said unless they could guarantee that they would answer a simple question with experience, there was no need to throw my money away to ask a general question to explore whether they could help me or not. I also told them I could spend $ 5,000 plus on this but I don't have a good feeling for them wanting money up front with no details on what I get for it.

I also told them I spent $ 15,000 on Lawyer fees a few years ago and both lawyers gave me at least 30 minutes of time to see if they could help me or at least hear my case. I am doing the K-1 alone. A lawyer can't do anything for you when working with the government if you are organized and thorough. If you are not organized and complete then the lawyer will burn all your money and there are no guarantees in the end. Either way, you will have to assemble the paper work yourself. The lawyer will only tell you what to get but I read where they ask for information in some cases that is not required or helpful. If you were to get an attorney, I would get the best attorney but be prepared to open up your wallet for some serious money.

The issue I had with my fiancee was a mispelling of her mom's first name on her birth certificate. We filed exactly as the birth certificate has it and will provide my fiancees passport as well. We think this will be fine and have contacted someone at the Embassy which indicated it is about my fiancee, not her mom. So I could have spent $ 300 to not get an answer but I dug it out myself and feel pretty confident now.

The only way I would consider using a lawyer is for an appeal but I have not even explored that yet nor do I think I will have to.

Good luck !

Edited August 13, 2011 by DaleFlorida

[mmevebinns 0]

My Dear,I hired an attorneyLAW FIRM),and EVERYTHING went timely until I had my interview 11/10,and until now my Husband is still in Jamaica and We both are still waiting to be TOGETHER.With you holding GOD at His word and believe that His words are true DO IT YOURSELF.Maybe if I did'nt use a lawyer my Husband would be here already.Once you know your MARRIAGE is genuine,you/your Husband has no other intention(s),but to be HUSBAND AND WIFE, and you have NO PROBLEMS WITH THE LAW, DO IT YOURSELF.After I paid a "REPUTABLE LAW FIRM", a VERY GOOD some of money in FULL the only solution I got was to come into the office and pay another fee of $4,500 to re-file the papers, with the same FIRM that told me that they did not know what administrating processing was, and that there was NOTHING they could do.Go on your knees,and place it to Him.(Maker Above).Since I started my journey. I work with TWO co- workers who one got married last April(4/10), the Wife came here(07/11),and is now working, and the other got married Aug(08/10),and the Wife is in the coutry already.Based on those two journeys /situations one will wonder why did I obtain a lawyer when these two situations niether used a Lawyer, and niether returned to the country after marriage, because of OUR DEMANDING JOB (Health Field).EVERYTHING WAS DONE VIA COMPUTER.I could go on & on with FACTS about this JOURNEY, and using a Lawyer but I will exit here. I'll admonish you SEEK GOD"S GUIDANCE in EVERYTHING YOU dDO ,AND IN EVERY DECISION YOU MAKE LET HIM BE YOUR GUIDE.Your experience could be the opposite to mine.Soon and very soon I will be able to give you an update which will be "we are in a hotel making up for LOST TIMES".when God says yes no-one can say no.My FAITH has taken a greater, stronger.level,and I have learned PATIENCE in this JOURNEY, one I never know existed.GOD BLESS THIS WEB SITE "VISAJOURNEY",I learned of it from one of the "SITUATIONS" mentioned.