Filing Yourself vs. Lawyer?

[Peter Miami 0]

I was quoted ½ to 2/3 less than you were quoted by about 6 lawyers. But a couple of them told me that if my case was simple I should do it myself. A complicated case has overstays, police records, etc. Good luck and the quicker you start the quicker you finish.

Peter Miami

[Justdazed 1]

Check the guides!

It may seem overwhelming at first, but most of the people on this board did K-1 (or K-3, or whatever the case may be) all by themselves, as well as the subsequent paperwork required once your significant other gets to the US.

Don't be scared, it's completely and totally do-able. My fiance got to the US a little over 9 months after we filed our the first paperwork.

I went over the guide even before I had the consultation. I'm concerned about doing right, but moreso doing it as fast as I can... and think that's where the lawyer seems to appeal to me.

But like I said I'm sure once I sit down with my FH, we would be more then capable to do it. Now I just have to get him over here

[Texanadian 10]

I'd say spend a week on this board just searching through all the postings you can find that are related to anything you're confused with. It's a big site. But after preparing the I-129F package with my fiancee and sending it away, we were glad to have saved the $2300 US that we were quoted for a lawyer.

There are forms on this website that you can print out and practice on before you mail everything in.

[*Robert* 2]

It's easy...all the lawyer will do is charge you for asking you questions that the application form will ask you to provide anyway. You might as well cut out the middle man unless you have particular problems with your legal history or language problems that prohibit you from understanding the forms correctly. $5000 is a crazy amount to spend when you will be doing all the work anyhow.

I agree 100%. A lawyer isn't going to magically come up with all the information to fill out the forms, or copies of BC, Divorce Certificates, Photos, or proof of relationship evidence, and when it comes to getting Police Certificates, Medicals, paying for the Visa, and turning in paperwork, the majority of the work has to be done by the Non-USC fiance(e)!!!

This website is the best thing you could hope for, and has all the information and support you need to make it through the whole process, from start to finish.

Save your money for your wedding and honeymoon!!!

[Justdazed 1]

It's easy...all the lawyer will do is charge you for asking you questions that the application form will ask you to provide anyway. You might as well cut out the middle man unless you have particular problems with your legal history or language problems that prohibit you from understanding the forms correctly. $5000 is a crazy amount to spend when you will be doing all the work anyhow.

I agree 100%. A lawyer isn't going to magically come up with all the information to fill out the forms, or copies of BC, Divorce Certificates, Photos, or proof of relationship evidence, and when it comes to getting Police Certificates, Medicals, paying for the Visa, and turning in paperwork, the majority of the work has to be done by the Non-USC fiance(e)!!!

This website is the best thing you could hope for, and has all the information and support you need to make it through the whole process, from start to finish.

Save your money for your wedding and honeymoon!!!

I hear ya about the copies of my BC. Apparently none of my long form have my parents name or my fathers name so I have to order new ones at $50 each - and that is on top of the "lawyer fee"

[KarenCee 3]

that's why we're all suggesting that you save your money and do this yourself. we're here to help you along the way once you've read through the guides. it's really very easy....really!

[Jasman0717 9]

My FH and I just had a consultation with our lawyer on Friday. During the consultation the Lawyer said that his fee's will cost about $5000+ for filing, paralegal etc.

My question is for those who have filed themselves, how much were the fees compared to $5000+? Did you find it easy?

I'm afraid one small thing will set me back when it shouldn't have.

I believe this also. All I did was follow the guides and if we would have remembered to get Claudeth's police clearance translated she would have been here in under four months from start to finish. I don't see an attorney doing any better.

[brad836 0]

If you have the time and patience, save your money and do it yourself. Use that money for the wedding and to begin your life with your loved one instead. It's not difficult and your case sounds very simple. There are so many kind people who will help you here, and we have been through it so we not only can help with the documents, but we also know how stressful it can be emotionally to go through this process, and can offer support in that respect also.

The only time I would recommend a lawyer is if there are any personal issues that you believe may affect your petition or if your fiance(e) is a national of a country considered to be a terror risk by the U.S. government. I don't think you fall into either of these categories.

I hired a lawyer because we are both muslim and my wonderful wife is from Iran. My attorney prepared our documents and sent them to the NVC. When we had problems with the interview my attorney was unable to do anything. Only after alot of prayers and me traveling with my fiancee to the embassy for the second interview did we finally get the visa. So I paid a good chunk of money just to have the forms filled out. Something I could have done myself.

Your case seems to be much easier than mine, and $5,000 dollars is alot to pay someone just to fill out some forms for you. Save that money.

I wish you both the best of luck and happiness in your life as you travel through it together!

[Kajikit 65]

Getting the visa can be complicated and time-consuming and some people prefer to pay someone else to do it for them... but really unless there is some definite problem that you can forsee it's not hard to do it yourself. You're not at all likely to be denied just because you filled in a form wrong - they'll send you a RFE and ask you to do it again, or tell you that they need X document, or at worst they'll send the original packet back to you right away if you forgot to put the check in with it.

If my fiance could do my paperwork, and I could do my own AOS, anyone can do it and it sure doesn't need to cost five thousand dollars! Just read the guides here carefully and ask on the forum if you have any extra questions and somebody will walk you through it...

Sounds like the guy was trying to scare you into signing on the dotted line to me...

[Jaylen Brit 0]

A lawyer CANNOT do the process faster than anyone else doing it alone because EVERYONE has to wait on USCIS.

My opinion is you might actually lengthen the process by throwing another person into the mix; you send stuff to HIM, he probably isnt doing JUST your case so you have to wait on him doing his bit, if you forgot something then he sends it back - the advantage is there btw - he would hopefully catch any ommissions BEFORE you file with the service center - and then everyone waits for service center action.

The only advantage (unless you have a more complicated case in which having a lawayer's expert knowledge to navigate the maze of immigration law is useful) is that he checks your paperwork more thoroughly than you do - but Ive seen cases reported here on this site where that hasn't been the case at times, and RFE gets issued anyway.

I'm not saying 'on no account for a straightforward case get a lawyer'. If you feel more comfortable using one thats fine - use one for you peace of mind - but expect to pay a lot more (plus you have all the normal fees for the visa forms and visa as WELL as the lawyer fees) and don't expect to be done any faster than any other person going thru the process.

Much luck to you both

[I'm Gone 60]

If you pay $5000.00 to file a straight forward K-1 petition, P.T. Barnum was correct "There's a sucker born every minute."

I have completed and filed every immigration form myself and yet to have a problem. As I said on the other thread someone posted last night about filing your own forms or having a lawyer do it, if you file your own state and federal taxes you can surely file your own immigration forms.

Now if you don't feel comfortable doing it yourself or don't feel like doing the research and have money to blow then hire a lawyer, but 5k, was this guy wearing a mask and have a gun. LOL

The only time I would say you need to hire a lawyer or at least consult with one is if there is an issue like a previous visa overstay involved.