Having a good immigration attorney can make all the difference in your immigration needs. You may need assistance with filing a petition for a visa or green card, avoiding deportation or any immigration matter that need professional help and representation. These processes can be especially taxing and difficult, particularly in the US. This is why you need to make sure that you get the right type of lawyer to help you get through the process. There are many lawyers that will be claiming to be the best and many will promise to get you through your immigration process smoothly, but you need to carefully choose the ones that can deliver on their promises.
Ask for a Referral
When you don’t have any idea on where to go or what to do with your immigration process, it is best to seek assistance from your relatives, friends or acquaintances. Preferably, go to those that have worked with immigration attorneys to get their green card residency visa approved. Referrals through word-of-mouth are effective in giving you an idea of what to expect and what you have to go through based on the related experiences of your relative or friend who underwent visa or immigration processing. You can then have an idea of what you will be looking for in an immigration lawyer.
Research the Lawyer
A good way of finding out more about some of the referred or recommended immigration attorneys by your relatives and friends is through relevant online websites. You can find out about the quality of service of immigration lawyers through social media sites like Facebook and legal information service websites. You’d also get to know their credentials and qualifications by checking if they are listed as a member of a state bar association. You might also consider checking on the competence and experience of your prospective immigration lawyer through the American Immigration Lawyers’ Association or AILA website. Optionally, you can check their professional profiles through LinkedIn, Facebook or check if they have written professional articles for publication.
Talk to More Than One Immigration Attorney
It is best not to settle on one choice of immigration attorney. Talking to several attorneys can give you an idea of who will be possibly representing you, you will also get an idea of their possible commitment, overall demeanor and impression of integrity. Personally interacting with several lawyers can give you a good impression of their work philosophy and personality. You can also get more than one version of a legal advice when you ask all of them the same immigration-related question. It’s a way of knowing how well the lawyer is able to get a good grasp or understand the case you asked about.
Negotiate the Fees
Most immigration law firms charge by the hour. There are also law firms that charge fixed fees for preparing and filing your case. Of the two options, you can save on the latter and always negotiate paying a fixed fee for the law firm’s service. Another option would be to request for an estimation of the time it would take to file your immigration case or petition so that you have an idea on how much the services cost and financially prepare for it.
There are actually many ways that you can arrive at the most suitable immigration lawyer for you. To help you make faster and better decisions, always be clear with what you want to be done and what you hope to achieve with your immigration case. With a clear goal, you can weigh your options from several of your consulted lawyers. This way, you have a high chance at arriving at the best immigration attorney to represent through the immigration process.
