About Lawyers

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

If you use a lawyer select someone who specializes in Visa. I used a lawyer and the time from NOA1 to NOA2 was 4 months. He is an actual Immigration Attorney. You could however do it yourself from reading this Forum but at the time I was not up to it.

I didn't use a lawyer and my NOA1 to NOA2 time was LESS than 2 months. 58 days to be exact. So then we can see that your actual immigration attorney INCREASED your wait time by 100%. Right?

Lawyers have absolutely nothing to do with the amount of time it takes USCIS to process a petition. NONE. EVER.

Edited December 30, 2011 by Gary and Alla

[GnBnL 50]

I do not recommend a lawyer. As I always say, they are not worried about the outcome of your petition, well, certainly not as much as you! either way, you will have already paid them. You can do it yourself! follow the guides, ask questions, search forums! Even if you use a lawyer, you still have to do most of the work.

[sara..... 371]

we had a lawyer it took us 2 years for noa2

sara

[Ron and Rhea 42]

I think if you have some legal type things going on, perhaps a lawyer would help, but other than that....during that free initial consult he even admitted that he he has no 'in' at immigration, nor can he speed up the process. He said they are familiar with what forms need to be filed, and when and that is a plus, (according to him)..but the good folks on here can help with that anyways.

[M&D1984 0]

We hired a lawyer with a flat fee which includes all communication with him. He actually encourages us to call him as much as we want. I also met with him a few times with no additional charge. If I knew what I know now, maybe we would of done it on our own. It did take us a few months to gather all information but once the lawyer sent off documents we received NOA1 in a matter of week. He (the lawyer) fed exed overnight all documents which was included in fee. Either way is good just make sure you are detailed and go over the top and provide more documents than may be needed.

[Sayha or bust. 71]

Hello again. Has anyone here from this forum hired a lawyer for their K1 process? How long did it take from the signing of the agreement from the actual start of the process (Like receiving NOA1). Waiting and uncertainty makes me want to scream on the top of my lungs. >.>

I hired my lawyer for the k1 around the beginning of Jan2010, it took him a while to gather things up and we filed around April 4,2010 my wife's Visa approved Jan 22,2011 and arrived in the states on Feb 2,2011. All in all it was a good experience along the way and knew from DAY 1, I was going to hire an attorney, I'm not good at this and feel it was money well spent.

[bigdog 376]

We initially used an attorney fro out K1, what a waste of time and money, but did not know about VJ then. Filled our own AOS. Hurray for VJ!!

[Book Em Dano 2]

I agree with your response. Our lawyer while free to practice any type of law he/she wishes...criminal, tort, accidents etc., strictly practices immigration law. At the end of the day, hiring or not hiring a lawyer is a personal choice. Our lawyer also charged a flat fee and I have nothing but good things to say about his/her assistance. I'm able to talk to our lawyer most whenever I want and he/she is very responsive to my concerns. I was even given their personal cell phone number in case something came up that I wished to address or get clarification on.

Indeed, while I'm sure my fiance and I could have adequately filled out all the required forms and met all the requirements, we chose to have someone with more experience help us. It's great that VJ offers the resources to assist those with a particular visa need etc. As a federal law-enforcement employee, (CBP) I couldn't take the chance that there might be any appearance of a conflict of interest whatsoever.

As an example: If I were having difficulties with my vehicle's transmission, I'm sure I could get all the repair manuals, rent the proper equipment, and in due time repair my the transmission at a fraction of the cost in the hope that I would complete the job well. Or, I could have taken it to a reputable shop that specialized in only repairing transmissions; that's what we chose to do. (Hire a lawyer with specific/specialized skills) Like anything else, we did our research in retaining our lawyer but in the end anything he/she submitted on our behalf was approved by my fiance and I. It's a personal choice and we had fantastic luck with our lawyer.

That's just my two cents. I hope that no one flames on me for expressing myself.

We hired a lawyer with a flat fee which includes all communication with him. He actually encourages us to call him as much as we want. I also met with him a few times with no additional charge. If I knew what I know now, maybe we would of done it on our own. It did take us a few months to gather all information but once the lawyer sent off documents we received NOA1 in a matter of week. He (the lawyer) fed exed overnight all documents which was included in fee. Either way is good just make sure you are detailed and go over the top and provide more documents than may be needed.

[Miami Vice 2]

@Tahoma, southcalhox, DiZZyLOX: Thanks VJ is really very helpul!~

@Moomin. Apparently, the lawyer never did start the process so we searched for another lawyer.

@Gary and Ala: Pretty sure after this lawyer screws up again, we'll do it by ourselves.. With VJs help ofc .

@Dindo and Patty: We just thought our case would be a little different since my home country is Philippines and I am currently in Canada.

@Ron and Diana: HAhaha! I'm pretty sure your pockets are thankful that you made a wise decision xD.

@RJQuila: The lawyer we hired specializes in Immigration I believe, I think I cant name names here though xD.

[Sayha or bust. 71]

We initially used an attorney fro out K1, what a waste of time and money, but did not know about VJ then. Filled our own AOS. Hurray for VJ!!

As did I. Read and got some good advice on VJ.

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

I agree with your response. Our lawyer while free to practice any type of law he/she wishes...criminal, tort, accidents etc., strictly practices immigration law. At the end of the day, hiring or not hiring a lawyer is a personal choice. Our lawyer also charged a flat fee and I have nothing but good things to say about his/her assistance. I'm able to talk to our lawyer most whenever I want and he/she is very responsive to my concerns. I was even given their personal cell phone number in case something came up that I wished to address or get clarification on.

Indeed, while I'm sure my fiance and I could have adequately filled out all the required forms and met all the requirements, we chose to have someone with more experience help us. It's great that VJ offers the resources to assist those with a particular visa need etc. As a federal law-enforcement employee, (CBP) I couldn't take the chance that there might be any appearance of a conflict of interest whatsoever.

A CBP officer? Really? How about some inside advice on how to avoid the dreaded "secondary inspection"...

As an example: If I were having difficulties with my vehicle's transmission, I'm sure I could get all the repair manuals, rent the proper equipment, and in due time repair my the transmission at a fraction of the cost in the hope that I would complete the job well. Or, I could have taken it to a reputable shop that specialized in only repairing transmissions; that's what we chose to do. (Hire a lawyer with specific/specialized skills) Like anything else, we did our research in retaining our lawyer but in the end anything he/she submitted on our behalf was approved by my fiance and I. It's a personal choice and we had fantastic luck with our lawyer.

That's just my two cents. I hope that no one flames on me for expressing myself.

Not really a fair comparison. Transmissions have become so complicated that the equipment and tools you'd need to repair one would cost more than paying a professional to do it for you. I remember when a transmission was basically a box full of gears and linkages. These days everything is controlled by a computer and bunch of hydraulic valves. I recently got my tranny overhauled (cost over $5K). The tranny shop was the best in the area, but even they didn't have the equipment to update the software in the tranny computer. It had to go back to the dealer for that. A glitch in that software ended up costing me a broken axle. That was fortunately covered by the tranny shop's warranty, but they ended up arguing with the dealer over reimbursement.

It sounds like you approached hiring an attorney the right way. Do your research so you have a reasonable idea what you're asking them to do, and be actively involved in your case so you'll know if they're doing it right.

I consulted with an attorney before filing the petition. They gave me some good insight on what to frontload with the petition that would help address the potential red flags that might come up at the consulate. I hired that attorney's associate for document and interview prep before the interview in my wife's country. The extra help ended up being unnecessary as her interview was only four questions, but the "professional help" made her feel less stressed about the interview.

[RJQuilla 6]

I think the process takes longer now than it used to take. The lawyer advised me of this. I think he did a good job for me and have no problems with his service. He also charge a flat fee with no surprises in the rate. You make the call. Also the lawyer who has done Visa cases before can avoid RFEs which can happen if you dont know what to do when filling it out yourself.

Edited December 31, 2011 by RJQuilla

[Book Em Dano 2]

Hi,

In regards to my attempt at drawing a parallel between fixing your transmission on your own or retaining a specialized mechanic, for myself, we chose a specialized (Immigration lawyer) and their expertise. Dunno, perhaps it was a poor example. I guess I was just trying to say that sometimes it's more helpful to choose a lawyer over doing it yourself. In the end it's a personal decision and I appreciate your point of view; perhaps both are helpful to the poster. It's all good, thanks.

As far as if there are any "secrets" to avoid the dreaded secondary inspection, I'm assuming you mean when you're making an entry into the U.S. at a lcrossing whether by land, air, or sea? I can confidently tell you the following: ALWAYS look the Immigration Officer in the eyes when responding to their questions as particular attention is paid as much to the context and content of your response/s as to your "non-verbal" response/s and cues. Training is provided to spot those little details. When the officer asks you a question, be as concise and brief as possible without appearing evasive. Example: Officer: Would you tell me where you're going today? You/Me: I'm going to the mall in such and such city to shop. Good answer. Poor answer: I'm going to the mall in such and such city to shop. My fiance/wife wears size 5 shoes and they're difficult to find and she like black patent ones but they're difficult to find and I know such and such store carries them. It's so helpful that they accept credit card XYZ. I think the mall closes at 5pm and we got a late start. Way too much "helpful" information. "Just the facts maam!" Hopefully the poster is gaining some good insight from the rest of the VJ members. Oh boy, our petition is finally proceeding. Take care.

A CBP officer? Really? How about some inside advice on how to avoid the dreaded "secondary inspection"...

Not really a fair comparison. Transmissions have become so complicated that the equipment and tools you'd need to repair one would cost more than paying a professional to do it for you. I remember when a transmission was basically a box full of gears and linkages. These days everything is controlled by a computer and bunch of hydraulic valves. I recently got my tranny overhauled (cost over $5K). The tranny shop was the best in the area, but even they didn't have the equipment to update the software in the tranny computer. It had to go back to the dealer for that. A glitch in that software ended up costing me a broken axle. That was fortunately covered by the tranny shop's warranty, but they ended up arguing with the dealer over reimbursement.

It sounds like you approached hiring an attorney the right way. Do your research so you have a reasonable idea what you're asking them to do, and be actively involved in your case so you'll know if they're doing it right.

I consulted with an attorney before filing the petition. They gave me some good insight on what to frontload with the petition that would help address the potential red flags that might come up at the consulate. I hired that attorney's associate for document and interview prep before the interview in my wife's country. The extra help ended up being unnecessary as her interview was only four questions, but the "professional help" made her feel less stressed about the interview.