Background: I got married to my spouse in January 2021 and received my conditional green card in March 2022. I'm about to file i-751 in December, however, we have been separated since June this year (2023).
We tried so many things and went to marriage counseling for almost a year and even our counselor agreed that sometimes the best that we can get out of the counseling is realizing that we shouldn't keep causing each other pain anymore.
We were in a relationship since 2017 and I thought I knew the person well enough but long-distance relationship can be cruel, I didn't learn about his issues with alcohol until we started living together. He also had severe attachment and abandonment issues that didn't allow him to connect with me in a deeper level. We tried going through individual therapy, for him to work through those issues and for me to learn how to cope when I'm triggered (I have a father with alcohol issues as well). But it just didn't work out unfortunately.
Current Situation: Right now, he wants to get divorce as soon as possible (he's going through much pain and has been suicidal because of the breakup) but is willing to push it back until a few months after I file i-751. I also want to get it done too but I'm not sure if it's better for me to start the divorce process while i-751 is pending. I'm willing to push as much as I need to. So right now I'm considering...
1. Starting the divorce process now, before filing i-751. My concern is that my chances of getting approved would be lower and the process would take longer.
2. File i-751 in December 2023, and sometime at the first half of 2024, start the divorce process. My concern is that it would complicate the immigration process. But I also feel like it might give me a better chance of approval.
I'm also not sure if I should hire a lawyer to do this for me. I know I'm very capable of getting all the paperwork ready. I did everything myself the first time around to get the conditional one. But I was wondering if having a lawyer would increase my chance somehow. I attached a picture of the documents I have prepared so far to prove that my marriage was of good faith.
If anyone thinks lawyer is a way to go, can you give me an estimate of how much it would cost?
Thank you so much.
P.S.
Other info about me... I'm based in Madison, WI and have been working full-time since I got my green card.
I work as a research analyst. I also had been supporting my spouse financially since he's still in school and only works part-time.
So, I was the main source of income in the family. He's still on all of my premium insurance and is also my beneficiary since I know he needs it until he graduates next year and starts working full-time.