Do I need to hire an attorney?

[jonandmary 0]

Is it really 2k bucks for a good immigration lawyer? I'm too stubborn to pay such fees.

Mine was going to be close to 2k to file the K1, and 2k to file the adjustment of status.

With the help of this site we have decided to pursue the K1 on our own and go from there.

[GeordieWife 1]

Rebecca, I do see, and very much understand your point. I agree that one could find a lawyer who can point out challenges that must be handled by an attorney. I am just very wary, and have problems believing that one would have the good fortune of finding a lawyer who would be honest...they want money don't they? That's my cynacism from being burned I suppose. But I also believe that the vast majority of people with the patience, intelligence, desire, and diligence can do it themselves. There are a few of course who, like your example, get denied or do not realize their specific complications. I believe it's worth the initial try to save hundreds if not thousands of dollars in attorney fees and possible heartache from their mistakes. The feeling of hopelessness and no recourse from someone else's mistake must be horrendous. At the same time, the regret and self blame of being denied by your own mistake can be equally as bad. So I do see both sides of the story.

[rebeccajo 14]

Rebecca, I do see, and very much understand your point. I agree that one could find a lawyer who can point out challenges that must be handled by an attorney. I am just very wary, and have problems believing that one would have the good fortune of finding a lawyer who would be honest...they want money don't they? That's my cynacism from being burned I suppose. But I also believe that the vast majority of people with the patience, intelligence, desire, and diligence can do it themselves. There are a few of course who, like your example, get denied or do not realize their specific complications. I believe it's worth the initial try to save hundreds if not thousands of dollars in attorney fees and possible heartache from their mistakes. The feeling of hopelessness and no recourse from someone else's mistake must be horrendous. At the same time, the regret and self blame of being denied by your own mistake can be equally as bad. So I do see both sides of the story.

....which is the great part of an informed discussion!

Of course, I processed our own case as well. It always cracks me up that at one point my boss asked me who our attorney was!

I was fortunate though to have the experience of finding a skilled lawyer who actually told me we didn't require his services. Julezabelle said the same happened for her. Later on, when our AOS became protracted, we sought the services of another immi lawyer who told us we didn't need her - yet. She advised us what to watch for in our case. She said "if such and such happens, then call me back". With both attorneys, we paid them an initial consult of less than $200.

I guess it's a lot like shopping for a car. Best not to get fascinated by all the glitter or confused by the manual!

I work in a law office. We don't do immigration work. Our clients call us up all the time checking on the status of their cases. If you hire a lawyer for immigration work, you should STILL be proactive about your case. Don't accept half-baked answers. You are paying a fee. Get what you paid for.

The only other thing I can think of - there are some people who just stink at paperwork. A lawyer is often a good choice for them. I remember another VJ member who came on board asking if he needed a lawyer. He claimed he hated paperwork, was too busy professionally to handle putting the packet together, and could afford a lawyer. He got ROUNDLY TROUNCED in this forum - told case-filing was EASY to do and why in the world would he want to waste his money that way. I kind of thought it was his own business, you know?

Becca

[KC♥MP 0]

I guess each case is different but I'm glad my fiance and I agreed to do it ourselves. Luckily, we've had no problems so far and she is going for her interview next month. When we started the process I panicked and thought we needed a lawyer, but she being an accountant and having a calm and cooler head, she convinced me that we could do it ourselves and she was right. I'm nervous and excited at the same time!

[GeordieWife 1]

....

I was fortunate though to have the experience of finding a skilled lawyer who actually told me we didn't require his services. Julezabelle said the same happened for her. Later on, when our AOS became protracted, we sought the services of another immi lawyer who told us we didn't need her - yet. She advised us what to watch for in our case. She said "if such and such happens, then call me back". With both attorneys, we paid them an initial consult of less than $200.

In this capacity, I believe it was a very wise choice. It's a boon to have someone you trust to consult. One must be wise in their choices of attorney to get this benefit I believe. A naive, less than average intelligence, or just thoughtless person could be in trouble though. Even a sharp person who is just not wary could get hurt with the process. I've been careless in the past with certain legal issues and it cost me dearly. Fortunately, I learned a lot from my mistakes. I still believe no one can care about YOU like YOU, when it comes to this stuff. I've had an experience that has left me feeling that I need protection from my protection (lawyer). In retrospect it was my own ignorance that cost me, but an opportunistic attorney saw my vulnerability and took advantage. This is often the source of my perspective in this issue. Thanks for your input Rebecca.

[Mags 112]

Excellent advice in this thread from both pushbrk and Becca.

I think the thing to remember here is that we all vary in our ability to handle paperwork. Some people find it difficult, others find it easy. It isn't a slur on their personality if they find it hard, nor should we judge them if they choose to go the immigration attorney path. But we also shouldn't make this decision for them; we don't know them personally nor where their strengths lay.

[GeordieWife 1]

Excellent advice in this thread from both pushbrk and Becca.

I think the thing to remember here is that we all vary in our ability to handle paperwork. Some people find it difficult, others find it easy. It isn't a slur on their personality if they find it hard, nor should we judge them if they choose to go the immigration attorney path. But we also shouldn't make this decision for them; we don't know them personally nor where their strengths lay.

very good point...thank you!

[rebeccajo 14]

I agree with mags!

And GeordieLover - unfortunately those 'bad' attorneys are out there. I'm sorry you ran into one.

[pushbrk 12,898]

Excellent advice in this thread from both pushbrk and Becca.

I think the thing to remember here is that we all vary in our ability to handle paperwork. Some people find it difficult, others find it easy. It isn't a slur on their personality if they find it hard, nor should we judge them if they choose to go the immigration attorney path. But we also shouldn't make this decision for them; we don't know them personally nor where their strengths lay.

very good point...thank you!

I want to go on record saying I found filling out the forms to be quite difficult, but I had confidence I could do it anyway. As it was, I made numerous stupid mistakes that ended up being of no consequence whatsoever.

[Caladan 19]

Excellent advice in this thread from both pushbrk and Becca.

I think the thing to remember here is that we all vary in our ability to handle paperwork. Some people find it difficult, others find it easy. It isn't a slur on their personality if they find it hard, nor should we judge them if they choose to go the immigration attorney path. But we also shouldn't make this decision for them; we don't know them personally nor where their strengths lay.

Nor their time. I was able to educate myself largely because I'm in grad school and my schedule's pretty flexible. If I were working a more rigorous schedule I wouldn't have had the time (but would have had the cash.)

Plus, while a person might care more than the attorney does, that doesn't translate into competent handling. I might care more than the doctor if C. had surgery, but I wouldn't conclude from that that I knew how to suture a wound.