Should we get a lawyer?

[Roy van Leeuwen 0]

We all know lawyers are expensive, but I am worried that me or my gf will make a mistake and as such be denied the k-1 visa.

So my question is, how complicated is the process to apply for a K-1 visa? Is it something we can do

ourselves without too much trouble, or would it be advisable to hire a lawyer?

Any help will be sincerely appreciates

[payxibka 10,045]

We all know lawyers are expensive, but I am worried that me or my gf will make a mistake and as such be denied the k-1 visa.

So my question is, how complicated is the process to apply for a K-1 visa? Is it something we can do

ourselves without too much trouble, or would it be advisable to hire a lawyer?

Any help will be sincerely appreciates

this is primarily a DIY site... most people who are here, are here to learn and avoid lawyers

the answers you will see will be heavily biased

[Anh map 2,098]

If you are not confident or comfortable about filling out the forms then hiring a service or attorney may be a good choice for you.

An attorney or service doesn't make it happen faster.

I found the advice, guides, and example forms here on VJ very helpful.

Take some time reading here on the site. If you want to go forward on your own you will find lots of support.

[Filipina Lover 1]

you don't need a lawyer, it's easy, just make sure you check it over and over to make sure it's right before you send it in.

save your money, the immigration fees are expensive enough and they are going to raise them up higher too.

[TBoneTX 45,155]

you don't need a lawyer, it's easy

(PLEASE avoid telling people flatly that they "don't need a lawyer" unless you know every intricacy of their situation.) Roy, read the Guides (atop every screen here), and consider any possible wrinkles in your case (has she ever overstayed a visit to the U.S.? has either of you been arrested? etc.), and proceed from there. Many people here can comment wisely, and some will not. Only you can judge the difficulties or simplicity of your case, and you know your own abilities best. If your case is straightforward and you can read accurately, interpret literally, and answer honestly, you could do fine by yourself.

[baron555 934]

We all know lawyers are expensive, but I am worried that me or my gf will make a mistake and as such be denied the k-1 visa.

So my question is, how complicated is the process to apply for a K-1 visa? Is it something we can do

ourselves without too much trouble, or would it be advisable to hire a lawyer?

Any help will be sincerely appreciates

How will the lawyer prevent you from making a mistake? Like what kind of mistake? They can't go with her to the interview.

You are a big boy and girl now, you can do it yourself.

[TracyTN 237]

(PLEASE avoid telling people flatly that they "don't need a lawyer" unless you know every intricacy of their situation.)

[F & J 21]

I have helped a few couples file their I-129F petition and guided them through the K-1 process (in the Philippines only as different embassies may have different procedures) because they didn't want to hire a lawyer and have to pay exorbitant fees. My husband and I are currently in the AOS stage so we are by no means experts on the whole immigration process and never will be because the rules/guidelines continually change. The best that all VJers here can do is help you by answering questions and offering advice. Deciding on whether to hire a lawyer is a matter of preference. There are no guarantees that having a lawyer will speed up the process or get you an approval. There have been cases when lawyers neglected something / filled out forms incorrectly which resulted in delays (RFEs) or even denials. That just means that even if you have a lawyer, you should still go over the documents yourself and not leave it all up to the lawyer.

If you're confident that you can complete the forms and won't miss anything (follow the guides, use the example forms as reference, etc.), you can go ahead and file without a lawyer. Between my husband and I, I'm the meticulous one. I checked our documents at least 10 times but my husband is the type who hates to read paperwork unless he absolutely has to (only because he already deals with so much at work and always has a lot on his mind, I do my part by keeping track of everything else). When we filed our I-129F petition, I sent him a checklist, instructions with the important parts highlighted as well as sample forms with headings in red (because I knew that's as far as he would read before he lost track - there were a lot of things that needed to be done and at that time, he was also in the process of looking for our first house AND transitioning into his new job).

If your case is very complex, it would be a good idea to hire an immigration lawyer but if it's relatively simple AND again, you're confident that you can cover everything (filling out forms, gathering supporting documents, etc.), look through the guides and sample forms here on VJ, ask other members who have filed... If you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask. There are no stupid questions and there will always be someone who'd be happy to help!

[littlecrazyangel 1]

DO NOT hire a layer only if you got a complicate case. They will ripe you off. We had to hire a layer because my husband doesn't have a birth certificate.(He and his family emigrated during the communism period and they took every papers they had, all birth certicates etc.)

If you have a layer doesn't mean that your papers will get approved faster. We waited 8 months for NOA2. The normal processing timeline was 6 months.

Every information what do you need is on this forum. If you have questions you can ask (we are here for you).It is not complicated.Just you need a lot of research.

Don't hire a layer.

Bye

[UKGirl123 24]

Hi,

I would say most people don't need a lawyer unless there is a problem that you can forsee.

I say this as my fiance and I have used a lawyer as we wanted to make sure everything went smoothly even though we couldn't forsee and issues.

He was very helpful and it was nice to have the peace of mind that someone experienced was making sure everything we submit was perfect and correct. However it was very expensive considering what he has done to earn his fee (ie just fill in some documents and post them). He did however answer alot of our questions when we were filling the paper work out as we didnt want to have to wait for answers on vj! Although with what we know noe and seeing how quick people on here are to answer I feel we could have done it ourselves.

Good luck but if you do choose to use a lawyer I can give you the details of who we used if you pm me.

[Bernie C 24]

There are good lawyers and bad lawyers just as in anything else. A good lawyer will do his/her best for you but is only as good as the information you provide. However one thing you must consider is that just because you may hire a lawyer, this does not exempt you from responsibility. It is still your responsibility to review and check all their work. If you are not confident then you should continue to research as much as you can until you reach a comfort level with the process and the paperwork. The assistance of a lawyer will in no way make the process faster. There are other options also. You can hire a lawyer on a consulting basis and have them review your documents. You can also have close family or close friends review them. If you read the guides here on VJ and take your time and ask questions the picture can become clearer and clearer. Also, there are things available here from actual peoples experiences that can help in your considerations. But as always, the ultimate decision and responsibility always falls on the petitioner and the beneficiary. Unless for some reason you have some particular concerns about your case that you may think could be problematic after you educate yourself on the process, there is really no reason why you cannot do it yourself. Just go slow, pay attention to detail and check you work. Include everything required and lots of proofs, pictures, boarding passes, etc etc. You'll find lots of useful info from others who have walked the same path. GOOD LUCK and BEST WISHES

[lizandpat 0]

We all know lawyers are expensive, but I am worried that me or my gf will make a mistake and as such be denied the k-1 visa.

So my question is, how complicated is the process to apply for a K-1 visa? Is it something we can do

ourselves without too much trouble, or would it be advisable to hire a lawyer?

Any help will be sincerely appreciates

Hi Roy,

Speaking only from the experience my husband and I have had so far in this journey, it is something that can easily be done yourself. Just like the others have said, if you read the guides, read the instructions and follow it all very carefully you can do it without much trouble.

My husband is also Dutch so we have experienced how things go as far as the medical exam and the interview at the consulate in Amsterdam so if you have any specific questions about that, please feel free to PM me and we'll help in any way that we can.

And last but not least, I hope you'll consider dropping by the Dutch/American couples thread..there are a lot of wonderful couples there and we are all more than willing to help you!!

Good luck on your journey!!

Liz

P.S. here is a link to the Dutch/American thread:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...&start=1245

Edited January 26, 2010 by lizandpat

[mystic 11]

I agree with most here. It really depends on your case. If you have a simple case with no problems as for police or other petitions filed before and you can read and follow instructions you really do not need a lawyer. I have done both ways. I had a petition with a previous husband that i used a lawyer on. It took some time with them and really they didnt do anything other than file the forms. I still had to fill out the forms and send it to the lawyer, i still had to gather all information, i still had to look over the final forms the lawyer drafted and correct any mistakes, and there were a few.......

This time around i have done everything myself and there were no mistakes on the forms at all, no delays... the only thing that i have run into is AP after interview due to my previous petition and marriages.

[Eli the Barrowboy 16]

(PLEASE avoid telling people flatly that they "don't need a lawyer" unless you know every intricacy of their situation.) Roy, read the Guides (atop every screen here), and consider any possible wrinkles in your case (has she ever overstayed a visit to the U.S.? has either of you been arrested? etc.), and proceed from there. Many people here can comment wisely, and some will not. Only you can judge the difficulties or simplicity of your case, and you know your own abilities best. If your case is straightforward and you can read accurately, interpret literally, and answer honestly, you could do fine by yourself.

Great advice my man ...

[New Beginnings 32]

Hire a lawyer if you feel you need to, if your case is complicated you may want to get an opinion.

First things first though, read the guides, take up your kitchen table or livingroom wall with a process map of what this process will be like and when you need to fill out each form. It feels overwhelming in the beginning but once you understand it and lay it out, it's usually ok. People here can help fill in the gaps and can offer some great advice.

Consider your own case and the facts first!