k1 attorney/lawyer

[The Molinas 0]

is it really neccessary to have an k1 attorney for the k1 petition?

[Ladylethal 12]

Read the guides, browse the forums, if your story is a simple one, you should be able to handle it alone, if you have complications, an attorney is the right option.

Welcome to VJ.

[john_and_marlene 162]

is it really neccessary to have an k1 attorney for the k1 petition?

neccessary...no. Helpful/useful/wise...maybe. It's a personal choice. If you don't have anything out of the ordinary in your circumstances and you feel comfortable with following guides and paying attention to details, you might do just fine without one. If you would be more comfortable with getting some direction from a professional that has done the same thing over and over again, you may want to get one.

[bebop + rocksteady 0]

Just because I worry more than normal, I think we are going to shell out the money to have an immigration lawyer look over the petition just before we mail it off. Just to have another set of eyes that knows the process really check over it. But it's definitely not necessary. Plenty of couples have gotten their visas without ever seeing an attorney.

[Kajikit 65]

No it's not 'necessary'... if you are reasonably competent with beaurocracy you can do it yourself and a lot of people do. Whenever there's a poll about 'did you use a lawyer' on this site it comes back with about 75% 'no's... the legal person is basically going to do the same process you do, it doesn't make it any quicker or simpler. The only difference is if you have a very complicated or difficult case, then legal advice is a must. The average Joe or Jane really doesn't need it, especially if you use the information on this site to help navigate the paperwork maze and know what you need to include in your application.

[The Molinas 0]

uffff... ok i think i dun need one then...

[john_and_marlene 162]

If you get one and the whole thing goes smoothly, you might kick yourself later for the expense.

If you don't get one and some minor oversight causes an RFE and delay, you might kick yourself later for not getting one.

I don't see how people can offer advice on this topic to someone they know nothing about. There are people I know in person that I would say should absolutely have an attorney if they were to embark on this journey...there are others that I would say would not need one. But, that is based on my longstanding knowledge of the people involved. I can't offer advice based on how well or not I handled our visa journey because you are not me and I don't know you.

[Yodrak 7]

john_and_marlene,

Agreed. And I would add that having a consultation with an immigration attorney upfront is always a good investment.

Yodrak

...

I don't see how people can offer advice on this topic to someone they know nothing about. There are people I know in person that I would say should absolutely have an attorney if they were to embark on this journey...there are others that I would say would not need one. But, that is based on my longstanding knowledge of the people involved. I can't offer advice based on how well or not I handled our visa journey because you are not me and I don't know you.

[Priscila and Christopher 0]

Hmmm.. I guess John and Marlene and Yodrak didn't understand what the others said!

I didn't see anybody here saying that a lawyer is not necessary in ALL situations, but they specified the conditions for this and I completely agree with them!

If you have a simple case and are able to read the guides, FAQ's in this site, you can do it by yourself! But if the foreign fiance had overstayed a visa in the USA, have criminal background, serious diseases or anything that could make the visa to be denied, so look for a lawyer to get advice! Use your common sense! It's just not necessary to get a lawyer that will only fill out forms for you, since you have a little patience to do it!

And another thing... If choose to hire a lawyer, be VERY CAREFUL and check if this professional is really used to deal with these immigration visas... I have a friend that hired one about two months ago, and the "professional" sent the papers to the wrong place.... (it should be sent to Texas and she sent to Michigan... such a gross mistake!)

So, that's it... Think carefully about this and take your own conclusions!

Good luck, dear!

Edited July 3, 2006 by Priscila and Christopher

[Yodrak 7]

Priscila and Christopher,

I understood perfectly. What many people don't understand is what constitutes a simple case and what small detail can cause major problems. VJ is lettered with tales of woe from people who found out once they were into it that their case was not so simple as they first thought it was.

So I repeat - a consultation upfront is always a worthwhile investment.

Yodrak

Hmmm.. I guess John and Marlene and Yodrak didn't understand what the others said!

I didn't see anybody here saying that a lawyer is not necessary in ALL situations, but they specified the conditions for this and I completely agree with them!

If you have a simple case ....

[Priscila and Christopher 0]

Priscila and Christopher,

I understood perfectly. What many people don't understand is what constitutes a simple case and what small detail can cause major problems. VJ is lettered with tales of woe from people who found out once they were into it that their case was not so simple as they first thought it was.

So I repeat - a consultation upfront is always a worthwhile investment.

Yodrak

I agree that visajourney has a lot of tales... But it's not the case here and it doesn't mean people can't use the common sense! The conditions are perfectly clear and only the person can analyze if a lawyer is or is not necessary! In general, it's not! Or else 75% of the people here would hire a lawyer too! So, keep thinking carefully! A lawyer can be a good investiment, or just a waste of money...

[MN&UK 0]

is it really neccessary to have an k1 attorney for the k1 petition?

I have a lawyer and is a small price to pay for better peace of mind. In the days preceding our applying, we received horrible advice from the ill informed USCIS customer service workers. Thus, I sucked it up and hired a lawyer after gathering recommendations from lawyers that I respect from other specialties.

My lawyer helped us complete all the paperwork, has followed up on our case to check the status, doles out lots of useful advice, etc. Sure, I probably could have done it myself, but there are a few nuances of our case that may or may not result in future complications. We will also have them do the AOS, work docs, etc. later on.

So far, I feel like it was a great decision to hire a lawyer. Immigration laws are very complicated and written by lawyers themselves, so who better to help one negotiate through them. Though I have to admit that due to this site, I knew more about IMBRA and its affects on the K-1 process time line than both my lawyer and my senator's office. Thanks, Visajournites!

Alternatively, some folks try to fill out the paperwork themselves and then hire a lawyer to go over the paperwork for accuracy.

[twostar55 0]

I think that in most cases, the services of an attorney are not needed. On my visajourney, I chose to hire one based on the advice of the members here. It can bring, at least, a certain "peice of mind". A lawyer is like any other service--be it a doctor, auto mechanic, accountant, whatever. If and when you find a good one, they can be invaluable.

All that being said, I would not hire an attorney unless there was a clear doubt/problem in any step of the process.

[john_and_marlene 162]

Hmmm.. I guess John and Marlene and Yodrak didn't understand what the others said!

I didn't see anybody here saying that a lawyer is not necessary in ALL situations, but they specified the conditions for this and I completely agree with them!

If you have a simple case and are able to read the guides, FAQ's in this site, you can do it by yourself! But if the foreign fiance had overstayed a visa in the USA, have criminal background, serious diseases or anything that could make the visa to be denied, so look for a lawyer to get advice! Use your common sense! It's just not necessary to get a lawyer that will only fill out forms for you, since you have a little patience to do it!

And another thing... If choose to hire a lawyer, be VERY CAREFUL and check if this professional is really used to deal with these immigration visas... I have a friend that hired one about two months ago, and the "professional" sent the papers to the wrong place.... (it should be sent to Texas and she sent to Michigan... such a gross mistake!)

So, that's it... Think carefully about this and take your own conclusions!

Good luck, dear!

I understood very well.

Quite often, I see people suggesting that an lawyer is not needed .... then I look at their timeline and see that they have had 1 or 2 RFEs which most certainly delayed them for some amount of time...I suppose if the time delays are not a factor, even a blind squirrel will eventually find an acorn.

[Milka 0]

Hi,

in the beginning of the process we also thought about an lawyer. But it is not necessary at all, if you do not had several marriages and lots of kids with different people.

We have made it without.

Good luck.