Attorney Dilemma - Your Thoughts...

[christeen 966]

Sorry if you do not agree with my opinion, however your post you asked for opinions and I gave you mine... If you were just looking for people to post who agreed with you that you are fully correct and have the right to demand for the $25 back then you should have put that in your topic subject then you would have gotten all the answers you were obviously looking for.

You wife saw that there was an error yet she signed the paperwork with says that under the penalty of law that she attests that all the above information is true even knowing that it was not without even a peep to the attorney as to why there was this gap left out... Then you should eat the $25...

There is nothing wrong with using an attorney, however since it is YOUR signatures attesting to the accuracy of the information, then I would take this as a fairly inexpensive lesson learned (for everyone else out there too who assume that just because you are paying someone to do the work) to verify all the information... That is all I am saying...

[Pacmtrx7 2]

I assume the Attorney is paying to send the updated DS-230 to NVC, are you covering half of that additional cost imposed on her because your wife assumed a 10 month gap in residence was intentional?

In straight-forward cases an attorney is simply a form filler-outer and actually for your money you get a para-legal doing that work. The responsibility of final review and approval falls upon you and your wife.

I wish I had so little going on in my life that it was worth how much time to argue with the attorney over $25, heck that doesn't even pay for 30 minutes of my time at work and my personal time is move valuable to me.

You assumed wrong...The attorney is not paying to send the updated DS-230 back to NVC. In fact, she sent it Fedex and didn't ask me, but rather said she will bill me for that. FYI She doesn't have a para-legal, she works alone and does all the work herself in a small office. More importantly, I think that last comment you made was rude and uncalled for. Tact is a keen sense of what to say or do to avoid giving offense. It is usually used by intelligent, empathetic people who keep in mind other peoples feelings. A tactful person does not wish to insult anyone, especially when he/she knows the intended recipient may not like it. You might consider having some of this when you respond to future posts.

[Darnell 8,478]

I dunno, if it was one of my attornies that made the mistake (I have a krewe of 3 on call now, nothing immigration related), I'd make sure there was a reduction in assessment on the final bill.

You can do that, as well.

I'm a bit of a horse's @ss, though, and my attornies know it - the last time I had to ding one of them, it was for a simple oversight on his part, and I re-assessed his charges minus 3000.00 . The thing that makes a difference, with me, though - is that I have a SIGNED 'reduction in assessment' document in place with each one of my attornies, renewed yearly when the yearly engagement contracts are renewed.

Well, anyway, you get the idea, right? At final 'pay-up time', have a 'reduction in assessment' because of THEIR f-up. IMO, he's trying to lay blame on yer wife, when SHE gave it all to the attorney, prior to initial filing of the DS-230.

Good Luck, whatever you decide to do. You asked for opinions, those are mine.

Nota.Bene.: I am not a lawyer, nor do I play one on TV. Your mileage may vary, greatly. Wash in Gentle Cycle. Air Dry to overcome wrinkling. oh yeah ! -> Tempus Fugit !

[Pacmtrx7 2]

Sorry if you do not agree with my opinion, however your post you asked for opinions and I gave you mine... If you were just looking for people to post who agreed with you that you are fully correct and have the right to demand for the $25 back then you should have put that in your topic subject then you would have gotten all the answers you were obviously looking for.

You wife saw that there was an error yet she signed the paperwork with says that under the penalty of law that she attests that all the above information is true even knowing that it was not without even a peep to the attorney as to why there was this gap left out... Then you should eat the $25...

There is nothing wrong with using an attorney, however since it is YOUR signatures attesting to the accuracy of the information, then I would take this as a fairly inexpensive lesson learned (for everyone else out there too who assume that just because you are paying someone to do the work) to verify all the information... That is all I am saying...

Thanks Christeen...

Your point is well taken... We could go on and on with this, but the fact is we see this somewhat (not entirely) differently and that's ok. Sometimes we are so close to something that we don't see all sides and that was the purpose for my original post.

[Pacmtrx7 2]

I dunno, if it was one of my attornies that made the mistake (I have a krewe of 3 on call now, nothing immigration related), I'd make sure there was a reduction in assessment on the final bill.

You can do that, as well.

I'm a bit of a horse's @ss, though, and my attornies know it - the last time I had to ding one of them, it was for a simple oversight on his part, and I re-assessed his charges minus 3000.00 . The thing that makes a difference, with me, though - is that I have a SIGNED 'reduction in assessment' document in place with each one of my attornies, renewed yearly when the yearly engagement contracts are renewed.

Well, anyway, you get the idea, right? At final 'pay-up time', have a 'reduction in assessment' because of THEIR f-up. IMO, he's trying to lay blame on yer wife, when SHE gave it all to the attorney, prior to initial filing of the DS-230.

Good Luck, whatever you decide to do. You asked for opinions, those are mine.

Nota.Bene.: I am not a lawyer, nor do I play one on TV. Your mileage may vary, greatly. Wash in Gentle Cycle. Air Dry to overcome wrinkling. oh yeah ! -> Tempus Fugit !

Hi Darnell

Thanks for your more light-hearted post. I plan to write a letter when it comes time for the final payment and see what she says. This really isn't about the money and maybe I should have made that more clear in my original post. I mean in the scheme of things with all the fees and such that needs to be paid for this visa process, $25 is hardly worth stressing out over. I just don't like the way attorney handled it and her comments and I'm going to call her on it. This whole post has turned out to be quite the love fest though, hasn't it! LOL

[Deputy Purple 1,294]

I wish I had so little going on in my life that it was worth how much time to argue with the attorney over $25, heck that doesn't even pay for 30 minutes of my time at work and my personal time is move valuable to me.

I think that last comment you made was rude and uncalled for. Tact is a keen sense of what to say or do to avoid giving offense. It is usually used by intelligent, empathetic people who keep in mind other peoples feelings. A tactful person does not wish to insult anyone, especially when he/she knows the intended recipient may not like it. You might consider having some of this when you respond to future posts.

Maybe you're a little oversensitive, I simply explained how I approach issues like this. Is it worth 3 hours of my time to argue about $25, I think not. I would make 1 phone call and if I wasn't satisfied with the results then I act accordingly. Either you're miffed enough to stop using this document filler-outer or you're not, it really is that simple. For me a $25 issue gets 5 - 10 minutes of my time before I just brush it aside and make the determination of my desire to continue a business relationship over the issue (if it is a matter of principal to me or not).

How much of your valuable time has been consumed over $25?

FWIW, if my post really is that offensive then by all means feel free to use the little [Report] button and a moderator will look into it for you (no charge for the service of course) ;-)

Edited April 13, 2010 by Bob 4 Anna

[Pacmtrx7 2]

Although I think people can be harsh at times. Most these people are right in my opinion. If it was simply a mistake where both your wife and the lawyer missed it, I might say the lawyer should pay as well because it was something that went unnoticed.

BUT due to the fact that your wife saw the error and signed off on it, the lawyer shouldn't have to pay anything.

I am not a fan of lawyers in any way shape or form as my present lawyer just sent me an invoice for 5550.00 for child matters, so right NOW I hate lawyers.

AT the end of the day a lawyer works for you, if your wife saw the mistake she should have questioned the lawyer as They are human as well, they make mistakes.

Canadiandggal,

People here are harsh at times? Geez! What gives you that idea? Sorry for my sarcasm, but I'm glad you said it and not me. I truly welcome all opinions, but if you disagree, there is no need to be rude and make unnecessary comments as a few people have. We are all here for the same reason, help and support.

With that said, thank you for your 2 cents and I'm sorry you are having to deal with your own headaches.

[Pacmtrx7 2]

I would say it would be fair for the attorney to pay half the shipping. I would think that the attorney would want you to look over the papers too before sending them to the NVC. That was bad on the attorney.

Hi Scott

You aren't suppose to agree with me because you're in the minority here and I don't want you to get yelled at.

[Pacmtrx7 2]

Maybe you're a little oversensitive, I simply explained how I approach issues like this. Is it worth 3 hours of my time to argue about $25, I think not. I would make 1 phone call and if I wasn't satisfied with the results then I act accordingly. Either you're miffed enough to stop using this document filler-outer or you're not, it really is that simple. For me a $25 issue gets 5 - 10 minutes of my time before I just brush it aside and make the determination of my desire to continue a business relationship over the issue (if it is a matter of principal to me or not).

How much of your valuable time has been consumed over $25?

FWIW, if my post really is that offensive then by all means feel free to use the little [Report] button and a moderator will look into it for you (no charge for the service of course) ;-)

This has nothing to do with being oversensitive and that is a typical male response. Thanks for proving a point. Did you ever think maybe you are being insensitive? Your wife might be a good person to ask.

Quite simply, your comment brought nothing to the table, added no value to your point and was a waste of time. Once again, this isn't about the money...

[TJM 0]

quote name='Pacmtrx7' date='12 April 2010 - 10:55 PM' timestamp='1271127320' post='3866939']

I have a question about something that I wanted to get some opinions about. We hired a attorney do our CR1, which was originally a K3 until NVC decided to ixnay that. My dilemma is that our lawyer basically made a mistake on our DS-230 Part 1 where it asks for all of your spouses residences since age 16. My wife sent her all this info, but she accidentally omitted some of it and left a 10 month gap, which got us an RFE from the NVC. Our attorney did tell my wife to look over it for for any mistakes (to cover her own back) before signing it and sending it back. According to my wife, she did see the error upon initial review, but didn't say anything because she thought maybe the attorney left it out for some specific reason. Don't ask!

Anyway, the attorney revised the DS-230 promptly and sent it via email to my wife to sign again and then she had to pay another $50 to send it back again to the attorney via DHL with her original signature. I told our attorney I didn't want to point fingers, but I feel it was both the attorney's and my wife's responsibility to find any errors before sending it to the NVC. I never had a chance to review it. It seems like our attorney doesn't want to take any responsibility for her part in the error.

We are paying her a fair amount of money for her services and to avoid exactly this type of thing from happening. I personally feel what was fair was for her to pay half of the $50 DHL shipment fee to send the signed and revised DS-230 back to her. What do you all think?

Please do not go off on any tangents about attorney's are no good and we should have and could have done all this without one. We lead very busy lives and preferred not to deal with all the paperwork and details. With all this said, I do believe she is a very good immigration attorney and otherwise has done an outstanding job. Your thoughts???

I think you answered your own question ... you said the attorney sent it to your wife to cover her back. You are correct ... that covers her back. Even if your wife did not notice the error it would still be your problem ... since your wife noticed the gap I don't understand why you are wasting your time worrying about the issue. You are getting emotional over something that is not worth worrying about ... especially since you said the attorney is generally very good. If she sent the documents without giving you a chance to review them I would say she was missing a very important step and if she did that you would have asked her why she didn't give you a chance to review the document. Good Luck

[Deputy Purple 1,294]

This has nothing to do with being oversensitive and that is a typical male response. Thanks for proving a point. Did you ever think maybe you are being insensitive? Your wife might be a good person to ask.

Quite simply, your comment brought nothing to the table, added no value to your point and was a waste of time. Once again, this isn't about the money...

Meh...

At least you're good for a laugh...

My comment brought the insight of another person to the table, that adds value to the discussion.

If it isn't about the money then what exactly is it about? Maybe you just want someone to agree that the attorney is more accountable than you or your wife?

If it's about the principal then (as I've already said) the real question is does it bother you enough to discontinue your relationship with the attorney?

If it's about the lost time, let it go you can't get it back.

My wife made an error on her DS-230, residence history was missing 6 months, I missed it when I reviewed the docs before they were sent to NVC. Why is it necessary to assign blame? It happens and we "lost" 2 weeks at NVC. She's been here for 5 months now and that 2 weeks isn't relevant.

If this is the biggest hurdle you have in the process then it will give you something to laugh about in a few years.

Being too tightly wound does nobody any good.

Come on a public forum and ask for opinions, you'll get a lot... Don't expect to agree with all of them and understand that they're worth exact what you paid for them.

[Justine+David 218]

Haha, oh man. It feels like I read 5 stories about dumb lawyers every week here on VJ...

When will people learn not to use them in uncomplicated cases?

[zaytoona 8]

If your attorney wants to provide great service, your attorney must pay. If not, then a poor review can lose potential clients. Less clients means less money in the long run. You're her paycheck.

[zaytoona 8]

One main reason for hiring an immigration attorney is to make sure all documents arevfilled out correctly. The attorney is the one to give the final "ok" after it has been reviewed by the client.

Edited April 14, 2010 by zaytoona

[Pacmtrx7 2]

Meh...

At least you're good for a laugh...

My comment brought the insight of another person to the table, that adds value to the discussion.

If it isn't about the money then what exactly is it about? Maybe you just want someone to agree that the attorney is more accountable than you or your wife?

If it's about the principal then (as I've already said) the real question is does it bother you enough to discontinue your relationship with the attorney?

If it's about the lost time, let it go you can't get it back.

My wife made an error on her DS-230, residence history was missing 6 months, I missed it when I reviewed the docs before they were sent to NVC. Why is it necessary to assign blame? It happens and we "lost" 2 weeks at NVC. She's been here for 5 months now and that 2 weeks isn't relevant.

If this is the biggest hurdle you have in the process then it will give you something to laugh about in a few years.

Being too tightly wound does nobody any good.

Come on a public forum and ask for opinions, you'll get a lot... Don't expect to agree with all of them and understand that they're worth exact what you paid for them.

I'm glad to see you've had some time to reflect on your previous comments and come back with a post you should have written in the first place.

I don't want someone to agree that the attorney is MORE accountable then my wife or I. I would however like someone to agree or see my point that the attorney is EQUALLY accountable.

Our case is already back at NVC, so dropping our attorney now is not something we will do since we are fairly close to ending our journey. However, we have not paid her the final bill and this is where all this comes into play. I plan on writing her a letter and explaining to her my feelings about this matter and how it was handled. I agree with you about the lost time, we can't do anything about that. The fact of the matter is there was a delay and extra money spent on our part due to what happened. I'm simply asking that the attorney acknowledge her PART in the error.

As I have said to others here, this is not a BIG deal in the scheme of things. In my belief it's a simple issue of right and wrong and I will stand by my conviction here.

Will I laugh about this in a few years? Most likely I will. Am I too tightly wound? I would say no, but I'm sure others have already formed an opinion about that.

If your attorney wants to provide great service, your attorney must pay. If not, then a poor review can lose potential clients. Less clients means less money in the long run. You're her paycheck.

Thank you for your opinion...