Please help part 2

[Anh bob 0]

Hi all. Thank you for all the responses. I have 2 other questions that I would like your help on.

1). When I did the I-130's for my wife and step-children, I used a lawyer. He charged me over $2000, and that was ONLY to do the I-130's. Now I have the approval letters, and it went to the NVC. I paid the fees to the NVC and talked with my lawyer. He told me if I wanted him to help with the AOS and the DS-230's, it would be another $2000+. If I do not want to use the lawyer now, and try doing the paper work myself....what do I have to do?....do you think it's a good idea to change from a lawyer to doing it myself at this stage of the game??

2). When all the paperwork is complete in the USA, I want to go back to Vietnam to be with my wife and wait until she has her interview. Please tell me your thoughts on this. Thank you.

[Chris Me lil D 17]

Hi all. Thank you for all the responses. I have 2 other questions that I would like your help on.

1). When I did the I-130's for my wife and step-children, I used a lawyer. He charged me over $2000, and that was ONLY to do the I-130's. Now I have the approval letters, and it went to the NVC. I paid the fees to the NVC and talked with my lawyer. He told me if I wanted him to help with the AOS and the DS-230's, it would be another $2000+. If I do not want to use the lawyer now, and try doing the paper work myself....what do I have to do?....do you think it's a good idea to change from a lawyer to doing it myself at this stage of the game??

2). When all the paperwork is complete in the USA, I want to go back to Vietnam to be with my wife and wait until she has her interview. Please tell me your thoughts on this. Thank you.

$2000 just for filing I-130?

You could finish the process yourself, save your money. VJ will be a better and free lawyer to you. Just follow the guides and always ask on VJ when something is not clear enough. You'll make it

And yes, when you're done with NVC and case is complete, you can go to Vietnam and wait with your wife by the time when interview is scheduled

[brlukath 1]

1). When I did the I-130's for my wife and step-children, I used a lawyer. He charged me over $2000, and that was ONLY to do the I-130's. Now I have the approval letters, and it went to the NVC. I paid the fees to the NVC and talked with my lawyer. He told me if I wanted him to help with the AOS and the DS-230's, it would be another $2000+. If I do not want to use the lawyer now, and try doing the paper work myself....what do I have to do?....do you think it's a good idea to change from a lawyer to doing it myself at this stage of the game??

Send your laywer a letter stating that he is no longer your lawyer. You may also want to do the same with USCIS because they will continue sending things to him as he has presumably put in a notice of appearance on your behalf.

There is no downside to DIY as long as you have all the documentation and correspondence with respect to your filing. (This is my opinion.)

2). When all the paperwork is complete in the USA, I want to go back to Vietnam to be with my wife and wait until she has her interview. Please tell me your thoughts on this.

If you can afford it, it is a nice option. But, think it through. You will still need convincing, up-to-date evidence of all of the AOS information, including financial support.

[Frenchwife 1]

You may find that the lawyer is going to receive the fee notices.

we had a lawyer ourselves and he received the fee notices

that was not a problem because we received them via email also and did pay ourselves

then for following steps my husband was my agent

0) tell your lawyer / send him a letter telling him you no longer use him

1) you need to call NVC and give them your email addresse

2) you tell operator and then an email or a mail telling you are no longer using the lawyer

3) the petitioner can send choice of agent maybe at the same time (I did wait but not sure it was needed)

Edited August 3, 2009 by Frenchwife

[brlukath 1]

$2000 just for filing I-130?

BTW -- Even if you do decide not to keep using your attorney, nothing about the $$ figure you mentioned makes me (as an attorney) think you paid too much (not without details stating that the lawyer did nothing or did a ####### job). I read a recent survey stating that average hourly fees are more than $300 x hour. (I know mine are much higher).

That being said, attorneys are expensive and you should not spend the money if not necessary and/or worth it. (How you decide what is "necessary" and "worth it" is up to you. For example, a person earning more than $300/hr would actually LOSE money by doing the forms herself.) And, it sounds like it is no longer worth it to you.

Edited August 3, 2009 by brlukath

[Chris Me lil D 17]

$2000 just for filing I-130?

BTW -- Even if you do decide not to keep using your attorney, nothing about the $$ figure you mentioned makes me (as an attorney) think you paid too much (not without details stating that the lawyer did nothing or did a ####### job). I read a recent survey stating that average hourly fees are more than $300 x hour. (I know mine are much higher).

That being said, attorneys are expensive and you should not spend the money if not necessary and/or worth it. (How you decide what is "necessary" and "worth it" is up to you. For example, a person earning more than $300/hr would actually LOSE money by doing the forms herself.) And, it sounds like it is no longer worth it to you.

I should go back to college and change my major. Lawyers' fees are insane...

[justcheckin 0]

I've been using an attorney for my wife's application. So far it's been $100 for the initial consultation + $350 for the I-130 and $1000 for NVC processing. Of course that's excluding all the USCIS and NVC fees.

I have another petition for my daughter and I'm going to handle it myself as I don't feel like paying $1000 for clerical work, which filling out an application and mailing the documents is. Most of it you do it yourself anyway - obtaining all the documents and providing information to have those forms filled out. So I'd say unless you have a complicated case or have no time or will to do it, or do not know English well enough, then go ahead and do it by yourself.

I think it'll take you less time in the end. Lawyers handle many cases at the same time, go to citizenship interviews, etc. A week or more can be easily lost between the time they get notified by USCIS or NVC about someting (eg. RFE) and the time they will tell it to you. So I'd say cut out the middleman.

In my case I'm additionally upset because my attorney doesn't even know the immigration law well enough (despite an PhD in law from a reputable university) and I had to explain to him that once I'd become a US citizen I had to file a separate I-130 for my daughter. He thought she'd have a derivative status. Now as the case is progressing through NVC I had to sort all the errors with them by myself over the phone while the attorney didn't know what to do.

So again attorneys are not needed for routine immigration cases.

[ScottThuy 140]

The one thing that needs to be said is

You can do the rest w/o an atty but you really need to take a bunch of time and read through everything here so you dont make mistakes in the rest of your journey...

[Malrothien 6]

$2000 just for filing I-130?

BTW -- Even if you do decide not to keep using your attorney, nothing about the $$ figure you mentioned makes me (as an attorney) think you paid too much (not without details stating that the lawyer did nothing or did a ####### job). I read a recent survey stating that average hourly fees are more than $300 x hour. (I know mine are much higher).

That being said, attorneys are expensive and you should not spend the money if not necessary and/or worth it. (How you decide what is "necessary" and "worth it" is up to you. For example, a person earning more than $300/hr would actually LOSE money by doing the forms herself.) And, it sounds like it is no longer worth it to you.

I should go back to college and change my major. Lawyers' fees are insane...

lol, my in-laws have an attorney that is $500/hr. Nuts!

[Anh bob 0]

Thank you all for your responses.I really appreciate it.

[Chris Me lil D 17]

$2000 just for filing I-130?

BTW -- Even if you do decide not to keep using your attorney, nothing about the $$ figure you mentioned makes me (as an attorney) think you paid too much (not without details stating that the lawyer did nothing or did a ####### job). I read a recent survey stating that average hourly fees are more than $300 x hour. (I know mine are much higher).

That being said, attorneys are expensive and you should not spend the money if not necessary and/or worth it. (How you decide what is "necessary" and "worth it" is up to you. For example, a person earning more than $300/hr would actually LOSE money by doing the forms herself.) And, it sounds like it is no longer worth it to you.

I should go back to college and change my major. Lawyers' fees are insane...

lol, my in-laws have an attorney that is $500/hr. Nuts!

:o again

[happypuppy 0]

do it yourself! $2000 is way too much! Steps are very easy unless u have a complicated situation.

[AbbynSheryl 0]

hey i was on the same boat with u

i paid $1000 to the lawyer to do my I-130 only

then she asked me $1500 to do my I-864 and DS-230

but that time i already knew about VJ

so i fired my lawyer and did my self just by reading the guide

u can do it without any problem

get all the documents from ur wife and file the DS3032, I-864 and DS230

then wait for the case complete and get the interview date and then leave

good luck

abby n sheryl