lawyer or no lawyer

[Apple Bee 272]

39 minutes ago, allie1978sall said:

Thank you so much!! It is just all so confusing to me, (not to seem dumb)

Ask as many questions as you need to ! That's what the forum is here for.

 

I see we're both in Massachusetts!

[saladboye 166]

Laywers are good for navigating complex situations.

 

IR-1 and CR-1 are pretty straight forward. Maybe the I-864 Affidavit of Support component of the process could be a bit complex depending on your situation but if you are able to use the EZ version of said form, then it is really straight forward.

 

My Advice:

1. Get a PDF editing software (Foxit or PDFExpert) to fill forms. Or get a trail to adobe acrobat pro and get everything done in the trial period. It will make easy to fill forms, especially for sections where address won't fit in the given space. 
2. Go over the form in reverse order. When reading in opposite direction, you tend to pay more attention.
3. Make copies of the exact form you submitted. As in Physical copies for your records.

[allie1978sall 5]

Thank You so much!! I appreciate all your answers, so very helpful. I think the husband and I are going to do this without the help of a lawyer and if we need help we can go to this forum!!

[nastra30 1,992]

OP; with some reading and some time, you will complete this thing without a lawyer. Save the lawyer money for some vacation to Hawaii.

[allie1978sall 5]

That sounds amazing, we need it after all this time apart!!! 

[Kowatti 189]

On 3/26/2019 at 7:48 PM, allie1978sall said:

I have something on my record from many years ago, so I’m probably going to have to get a lawyer ,

All you need to do is get your police report & the outcome.  It doesn't mean you will be denied.  Also, depends on the time of crime.  You can do this yourself & save money.

[C90 376]

19 hours ago, allie1978sall said:

I do have a question for you all, if I need help from any of you, will any of you assist me? Like I don’t understand the whole lock box that they are talking about on the immigration site. So, do I mail the petition to this lockbox?

It is a lot and we're all here to help you. Luckily you can find most of your answers by reading the guides here (https://www.visajourney.com/cr1-ir1-spousal-visa/) and the instructions on the USCIS website (https://www.uscis.gov/i-130) 

 

When you're bumping into anything while filling out the paperwork and gathering all the evidence or once you're further in the process, just go back to the guides and USCIS instructions. If after that you still didn't find the answer, use the search box (upper right corner of this website), since a lot of questions are already answered in other topics. If then you still don't find what you're looking for, feel free to post your question. There's (almost) always who can answer your question and help you on your way  

[Kowatti 189]

19 hours ago, allie1978sall said:

Thank You so much!! I appreciate all your answers, so very helpful. I think the husband and I are going to do this without the help of a lawyer and if we need help we can go to this forum!!

Great!  My experience has been that I was able to get better, straightforward answers from VJ members than any lawyer could have provided.  The  best part is "free information" & that means a lot.  Many of the members here have already gone through the process & continue to assist those who need help.  My best wishes to you in your journey.

[allie1978sall 5]

Thank You, You’re all so wonderful!!