Firing an Attorney

[imakhan2 0]

I've spent alot of time here in VJ scouring posts trying to find answers that will help me on our case. Our Timeline is so completely messed up thanks to USCIS that I can no longer make heads or tails of it anymore. Trying to find a way to light a fire under their A$$ES to get it all on track again. They don't listen, I keep getting the runaround, and I was told by the CS recently that our case is "in limbo". What the HECK?? Not being told anything new, right?

Anyway, I met with our attorney two weeks ago for the millionth time. Almost every time I'm there I have to reiterate our case to whomever he pawns me off to, paralegals, assistants, co-attorneys...the receptionist. We had filed our I-130 petition through him WWWWAAAAAYYYYY back in January 2005. My husband opted to keep him, as he was already his representative from his asylum case since 1999. Logical, right? My husband's asylum and appeals were all denied by March 2005. I wanted to find a new attorney to cover our I-130 after that. I had poured through his case and discovered that all this attorney ever did throughout this time was make court appearances on behalf of my husband and ask for extentions half the time for a later court date, therefore it was drawn out for all those years, unbelievably, not to mention all the money drawn from his bank acct. for nothing being done. The other extentions were made by the 9th Circut of Court Appeals.

I asked about this to the attorney, and his response was, "Well, if it hadn't gone that way, then you would've never had a chance to meet your husband and get married to him, so you should be grateful." #######?? "So where the hell is my husband now?!" I countered. He had been gone over two years at that point.

He had 'voluntarily' left the USA for his home country of Pakistan in May 2005 on the advise of this attorney, fearing that he would be deported, etc., which would most definitely have blown us out of the water regarding the I-130. Sound advise, but we've been waiting ever since.

A few things have caused me to hang on to this attorney regardless; ONE is that my husband and I assumed this ordeal would be over soon, but it's not (four years this January), TWO is that if USCIS starts screwing up our case (which they actually did), then at least we have an attorney to help us sort out the mess (which he has not). THREE is the cost. This guy is paid in full, and I can't afford a new attorney.

I've called his office numerous times over the past 2 months asking for a copy of our I-130 so that I can sort through it and be sure I have exactly the same correspondence that he has, but I've yet to get that in the mail from him. I also have been considering getting rid of him for a long time, but have been too scared to.

In April 2008, I attempted to file the Affid of Support for the I-130 through the attorney, requested by the NVC back in November 2007. The paralegal working with me on it attempted to submit it in April but during an inquiry to NVC she found out that our I-130 was sent to CSC and didn't know when or why it was there. Shortly after, USCIS sent me a letter stating that our I-129F and I-130 are being "reviewed" at the CSC and will let us know when they are finished. The paralegal said she didn't want to submit the AOS to the NVC when they don't even have the file in their possession, so we must wait until they make their decision.

STILL WAITING SINCE MAY 7, 2008....

So, like I said, two weeks ago, I met with the attorney and he strategized that if we send the AOS to NVC then it would force CSC to finish their "review" because the NVC would want the I-130 back to continue the process (assuming that the I-130 isn't denied by CSC). He said he would send me a letter once the AOS has been submitted. Still waiting for that letter.

Called the attorney this morning and asked if the AOS was sent in yet. The receptionist stated that the AOS requested by the NVC doesn't "expire", so not to worry. Instead of a simple yes or no, she raised a new question for me.

So, my question is this, DOES THE REQUEST FOR THE AOS "EXPIRE"? I swear that it does 1 YEAR after the NVC requests it. The fees have already been paid. If it does, then it will expire this November.

Also, HOW DOES ONE GO ABOUT FIRING THEIR ATTORNEY? I can't even seem to get a simple copy of the I-130 from him so I can at least take it to someone else. I do have my own, but I want to know what more or less he has in our file exactly.

Believe me, it's all such a mess that having legal representation is imperative for our circumstance. We were able to look ahead on that because of my husband's old asylum case. It's safe to say that we already saw the red flag before USCIS even did, so we do need the legal help. As far as the cost...I'm at a loss. Should I really fire him??

Thank you thank you THANK YOU in advance to anyone who responds to this. Sorry my post is so long winded, but this whole ordeal has me freaked.

~Amina