What To Consider When Hiring An Immigration Lawyer
Immigration cases are often quite complicated and can take months or even years to complete. Of course, the complexity of your case is one of the primary factors to consider in determining how long your case will last. However, the Immigration Lawyer you choose can also make all the difference in ensuring that your matter will be resolved quickly and successfully. For more information regarding What To Look For When Hiring An Immigration Lawyer and our immigration legal services, kindly contact our immigration law firm at 267-223-5862.
What Do You Need To Look For When You Hire A Skilled Immigration Lawyer?
Many law firms provide immigration services. Choosing the right Immigration Lawyer for your immigration case is a complex process, especially when you don’t know what to look for in the right candidate who is licensed to practice and possibly a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. For that reason, the following tips and Immigration Questions will come in handy in helping you pick the most fitting Immigration Lawyer.
1. Steer clear of lawyers who approach you at immigration offices
Some “high-volume, low-value” attorneys may prowl the hallways in various immigration offices, trying to win some customers. You have to stay away from any Immigration Lawyer who approaches you in such a manner, considering that such behavior is unethical according to the legal bar.
You need an immigration attorney who conducts himself professionally. Besides, which decent attorney is busy using such tactics to win customers instead of serving their existing clients?
2. Always make sure that you are dealing with an actual lawyer
A notary, petition preparer, or visa consultant is not the same as an Immigration Lawyer. Choosing either of these is the same as asking your doctor to help you fill out your tax forms or visiting your neighbor so that they can replace your heart valve. None of these approaches will end well.
Even general practitioners who claim to handle almost any legal situation expertly are probably not a good choice. Always stick with attorneys who actually practice in the immigration field.
Remember the old saying, “Jack of all trades, master of none."
3. Does the lawyer offer fixed fees?
An experienced immigration attorney should be transparent, especially regarding fees. When hiring an immigration attorney, always ensure that they can give a reliable estimate of their prices for handling the entire case. That’s in consideration that some dodgy lawyers initially charge less, only to ambush you with all sorts of charges afterward.
4. Is the Immigration Lawyer available?
When reaching out to an Immigration Lawyer, pay attention to how long they take to reply to your email, take your calls, or establish any other communication with you about your case and immigration status.
It’s not a good idea to hire a Lawyer with limited availability, especially when dealing with the complicated immigration process. They will probably not have enough time to concentrate on your case, and they might even end up delegating your matter to their juniors.
5. Be wary of lawyers who offer unethical advice
Never work with a lawyer who tries to offer you unethical advice, such as lying on an application. Never choose an Immigration Lawyer who tries to make illegal offers, such as convincing you to buy a fake green card from them, as a faster way to gain entry, as it could jeopardize your immigration status. Also, avoid any Immigration Lawyer who mentions giving them some money to bribe an immigration officer.
Taking such approaches can mean a lot of trouble if you are caught. At times, being detected as having committed such immigration crimes can spell more trouble for you than the Immigration Lawyer since you may become ineligible for future green cards or visas.
6. Does your preferred lawyer have an online presence?
The main reason you should be more comfortable with lawyers that have an online presence is that you can look for and review client feedback. A trustworthy Immigration Lawyer that claims to have practiced for years should have a website and several client reviews. If that is not the case, proceed with caution.
7. Watch out for unrealistic promises
Even the most outstanding Immigration Lawyers who have had the best success rates in the market do not claim that cases are easy. A highly experienced lawyer knows that there may be potential issues in a case, so the matter can take an unexpected turn.
Remember that the outcome of your case will depend on the decision of an immigration judge, the USCIS, and/or the Department of Homeland Security. An honest attorney will not make unrealistic promises to make you feel that you will get the outcome that you expect and desire.
Final thought,
Choosing the right Immigration Lawyer can be quite challenging, but the above tips should make things easier. Before hiring a lawyer, it’s important to ask them questions such as what they think about the success of your case, how much they will charge, how often they will contact you throughout the case, and more. Many law offices offer free consultation and represent clients in immigration matters.
An even easier way of hiring the best attorney would be to ask someone you know that has been through a similar process for referrals. If you don’t have direct referrals, look online or consider interviewing at least three candidates so that you can pick the best.
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