What to Consider When Choosing an Attorney
During my career with USCIS, I saw A LOT of really poorly prepared petitions and applications, including from attorneys. In fact, myself and other attorneys I worked with at the agency would routinely compare cases and talk about how these attorneys were charging so much and still providing such poor service. When I decided to return back to private practice, one of the things I wanted to focus my practice on was individual service and quality above all. So many immigration firms and attorneys focus on volume and end up having the vast majority of an applicant’s case prepared by a paralegal or a “legal writer.” Why this does not always lead to poor outcomes, the chances of a case being denied, issued an RFE, or significantly delayed to incorrect preparation increases dramatically when a skilled and experienced attorney isn’t involved directly with the case.
What are some things an applicant or petitioner should think about when choosing an attorney to assist with their immigration case? Below are some helpful considerations when wanting to hire an immigration attorney:
1) Experience: Look for an attorney who has direct experience with the case type you are needing assistance with. This can be found through past work (with client reviews), it can be through their past work with an immigration agency, or it can through presentations or CLEs (continuing legal education) the attorney has given. A lot of mistakes I personally saw from attorneys were because they assumed the form or petition they were filing was easy or just paperwork. Most of the forms USCIS requires are in fact very long and complex and full of nuance that can easily trip up experienced practitioners.
2) Attention: Who is responding to your emails and requests from a firm; is it an attorney or is a staff member? How quickly do they respond to you? If an attorney is carrying too many cases or relies too heavily on their support staff to answer important questions for clients, how much time are they really spending on preparing and reviewing your case before and after filing? Some immigration firms have a deserved negative reputation as “mills,” meaning they just focus on volume and trying to file as many cases as possible. Even if you have what you consider an easy or straightforward case, these “mills” can easily miss important details of your case and don’t always provide the best individual service.
3) What’s Included: Some firms and attorneys only want to help prepare and file a case and then send you off on your own. While the most important work an attorney does is to determine eligibility and prepare the application or petition, what comes after when the case disappears into the black hole that is USCIS is where an experienced and skilled attorney can make a major difference. If your case get delayed, issued an RFE, or you need to expedite it, having an attorney you can turn to that knows you and your case can take the stress and uncertainty out of your hands. Also having a trusted attorney who knows how the agency operates and the life-cycle of a case means you don’t need to turn to social media to get confusing or conflicting answers. As much as I appreciate the vast amount of information available tying to assist people with their immigration issues, there’s A LOT of false or misleading information coming from persons who don’t really understand how USCIS operates.
By taking your time and asking key questions in your immigration attorney search, you can find which one is the best fit for your specific situation. Remember to focus on experience, attention to you and your case, and their services through your case to ensure you are hiring the best immigration attorney you can.
