Immigration Lawyers..Worth it? Issues with them...

[acuratlsd 11]

I know that people have hired immigration lawyers for bigger projects. One that had a very complex case, but what about the ones who hired a lawyer just for a simple K-1?

Did they know what they were doing? Did they take long to respond? Did they do their job to the fullest? I mean was it really worth the money you payed them compared to doing it yourself?

[Grant PDX 183]

Frankly the process is not difficult enough to necessitate an attorney, unless the case is special for some reason. I've been through it once without a hitch, even before I found VJ. I'm going through it again 6 years later and filed the petition before finding VJ. It is not a very difficult process.

That said, there are some situation that are not straightforward situations. If there have been denials for cause, deportations, anything major then I would recommend an attorney.

All of the posts on VJ about attorneys that I've seen have been neutral to very negative. I've read posts where they've slowed and complicated the process, and for that they can charge quite a bit. I haven't seen one post that was a straightforward petition that an attorney would have done anything except make the whole thing more expensive.

In short, get an attorney if you have a major obstacle. Otherwise avoid them like the plague.

But that's just my opinion.

[brian_n_phuong 193]

I know that people have hired immigration lawyers for bigger projects. One that had a very complex case, but what about the ones who hired a lawyer just for a simple K-1?

Did they know what they were doing? Did they take long to respond? Did they do their job to the fullest? I mean was it really worth the money you payed them compared to doing it yourself?

I would suggest using the search function. This topic has been covered a few thousand times.

[easyriders2011 14]

Another choice is to use a visa service. Many lawyers in fact send their documents out to these visa service companies. I am using one and it was very beneficial because they made sure everything was detailed and correct before I submitted my package to USCIS. It caused me delays of about 2 weeks but their reasoning was better to be temporarily delayed than to get months into the process and then have USCIS find something wrong and they kick out your package all together or send an RFE that delays you for a month.

They saved me already on a few things, but I didn't know about many of the guidelines, etc. that you can find her on VJ or other immigration websites. So you might have caught some of those things I missed by using the guidelines here.

It's a personal call, but I wanted to make sure it was done correctly the first time since they indicate they have good working relationships with USEM etc. and they know what the folks at USEM are looking for and prepare their packages accordingly.

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

I know that people have hired immigration lawyers for bigger projects. One that had a very complex case, but what about the ones who hired a lawyer just for a simple K-1?

Did they know what they were doing? Did they take long to respond? Did they do their job to the fullest? I mean was it really worth the money you payed them compared to doing it yourself?

I did and it was a waste of money. The K-1 process is straight forward and the Manila is not a hard Embassy. If you meet the the requirements and fill out the forms correctly you will have no problems.

[NoneYa 73]

The problem with the lawyer is they will make you do all the work anyway. A lawyer feels his his time is worth $ 300 or more an hour so divide that by the price they charge and that will be the lawyers estimate for how many hours he will help you with your petittion. If you don't believe me ask him if he will offer you 20 hours assistance ??? He won't or he will say that is unnessary.

I did it myself with only VisaJourney as a guide. I think there are two items a lot of people make a mistake on when filling out the package to watch out for.

1. They don't send in proof of divorce to satisfy the petittion. I sent in every page the court gave me of my final divorce papers registered in the court including all the agreements and I had them assign a seal and have the judges signature to it to assure it was correct. It cost me about $ 1.00 more. Get 2-3 of those so you can send your fiancee one overseas and you will keep one at your house. That is what I did. It worked. I didn't get an RFE.

2. The only other warning is that, I should have compared all my forms with the forms on VisaJourney.com. I left two items blank when I should have putten "N/A" or "None". I think it asked for Alien # and that was one I left blank. The correct answer should have been "N/A" I believe. Just compare your forms with the online forms.

I think filling out the forms is the only help the lawyer will provide you but that is easy. All the other work is going to be done by you whether you hire a visa service, do it yourself or a lawyer. That is what takes time. Getting all the documents together and that nobody is going to do that for you.

I also included a copy of every page of my passport and my birth certificate. I think that helped as well but others have done it with less.

I vote with do it yourself ans save the money, take your time (3-4 weeks) and ask questions on VisaJourney.com and remember that many of the questions you will have are as close as the search feature on this forum because they have been asked many times before.

[brian_n_phuong 193]

I would suggest using the search function. This topic has been covered a few thousand times.

Make that 2001 times !

[BesosforMexico 13]

I have another thread on here about my lawyer problems. In my opinion, this site is 20x as helpful as a lawyer. What I've seen is that when you post a question on here..... you get 100 responses with answers.

I asked my lawyer basic questions like where his interview will be held, what to do to prepare in between the NOA1 and NOA2, simple things.... and her response is always that we won't know until we get to that step. My fiance is in Mexico so clearly the only place the interview could be held is Juarez.

She said my packet looked good and that she didn't think that I needed any of our chat histoy.... I disagreed and submitted some anyways.

Then to sumarize the other thread I started.... she told me that I need to submit a I-130 on top of submitting the I-129f when we are not married. She was trying to charge me an extra $4000 once he gets here on a I-129f and after we get married in the states file an I-130.

On top of all that, I was the one who did all of the work for the packet Your lawyer will not compile all of your relationship evidence and will not aquire all of your important documents for you. You still have to put them all together anyways. All she did for me was attach a cover letter. I did the rest.

Not worth the money, Not helpful in answering my questions, would NOT recommend it.

[BesosforMexico 13]

I would suggest using the search function. This topic has been covered a few thousand times.

Although I agree that this topic has been covered... I think almost every topic has been covered a 1000 times.

My biggest challenge when I first started the process was finding the time to search for answers (I work a 45-50 hr/wk job, Extreme coupon, run my own Ebay business, and play competitive volleyball 5-6 days a week). You have to agree that when you do a search it will come back with a ton of results and rather than reading through them all it was always much quicker to just start my own post.

[SuperDuper! 230]

I would suggest using the search function. This topic has been covered a few thousand times.

But it is a dynamic topic, and newbies need a little assurance and guidance.

If someone asks you a simple question at lunch time, do you just tell them to "Google it"? Not a friendship building approach for most folk.

As far as lawyers are concerned, for a simple, plain vanilla K1 Visa with no complications, just DIY one form at a time, paying close scrutiny to every line and check box along the way. Double and triple check everything, and you will be fine with no RFEs hopefully.

Lawyers, a scourge to humanity since 1553, hehe.

Peace.

[BesosforMexico 13]

But it is a dynamic topic, and newbies need a little assurance and guidance.

If someone asks you a simple question at lunch time, do you just tell them to "Google it"? Not a friendship building approach for most folk.

Agreed I was a newbie about four months ago and I definitely felt unsure and nervous

[BesosforMexico 13]

I think that the visa process is very difficult for all beginners, and unless your career choice is immigration law.... youre probably a beginner

I am very proficient in several different areas, and I learn things quickly.... but when it came to my visa I was unsure and nervous no matter how much research I did.

[brian_n_phuong 193]

But it is a dynamic topic, and newbies need a little assurance and guidance.

If someone asks you a simple question at lunch time, do you just tell them to "Google it"? Not a friendship building approach for most folk.

Perhaps you have a point, but does it matter if they personally receive a response, or merely an accurate answer to their question? My point is that the search could be used to uncover a wealth of information contributed over the years, and written by some of our more experienced members. When just posting a question you are at the mercy of whomever is online at the time, and the information is spotty at best depending on the time of day.

There are other reasons too of course, its just good forum etiquette to make a search first. I realize that some topics are very unique and/or dont lend themselves to an easy search, but a simple search for "lawyer assistance" or "attorney assistance" returns a truckload of info (try it).

Heck, searching for 'attorney sucks' or 'bottom of the ocean' would even do it !

Edited February 12, 2012 by brian_n_phuong

[Noah Lot 387]

If you own a ballpoint pen, have an IQ of around 100 and an otherwise uncomplicated case (alien fiancee does not have multiple immigration issues), then ask yourself this question: A lawyer will charge about $3000 to fill out a K-1 application and associated papers, while you will be asked to provide other written proof the relationship (letters, phone records, pictures, etc) and he will put everything in an envelope along with his exaggerated claims of the bona fides of the relationship....total actual time spent by the attorney and his paralegal staff: two hours tops...now, how many of you are earning $1500 an hour? (I will go out on a limb and say none of you)....whereas you can spend those same 2 hours, maybe three, doing the exact same job....so....why shell out such an obscene amount of money for relatively nothing? (the attorneys will try to convince you about how complicated our laws are during his/her consultation...which is baloney).

[brian_n_phuong 193]

If you own a ballpoint pen, have an IQ of around 100

Ohhhh, I thought you were describing the prerequisites for the Bar exam?