When meeting with immigration lawyers Pasadena Ca. recommend, it’s important to ask all the right questions. Today we want to talk about a few of those questions and why they’re important to ask during your consultation.
Immigration Lawyers Pasadena Ca: 5 Things to Ask At Your Consultation
1. Are You a Member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA)?
The American Immigration Lawyers Association is a legal organization that focuses solely on attorneys that practice immigration law. Among the requirements for attorneys to be in the association is for them to take ongoing education classes. This is not just helpful to you as a client, but it’s also a necessity since immigration guidelines change so frequently. It should also give you peace of mind that your attorney is abreast of the most recent changes to immigration procedures and requirements.
2. What is Your Main Focus When It Comes to Immigration Law?
Most lawyers have a specific focus within their field of practice. For example, an immigration lawyer may specialize in immigration and employment, so if you are suing your employer for treating you poorly because you are an immigrant, this is the right attorney for you. If, however, you are pursuing permanent residency in the U.S., this attorney is going to be less helpful to you. In this circumstance, you would want to seek out an immigration lawyer that specializes in visas, permanent residency, and citizenship.
It’s perfectly acceptible during your consultation to ask the attorney how many cases like yours they have worked on before. This should give you a better idea of how much experience that attorney has in that area and how helpful they can be to you.
3. How Long Do You Expect My Case to Take?
Of course, an attorney can’t tell you exactly how long it will take to move your case through the immigration system, but based on their experience, they should be able to give you a rough estimate. This is important for a few reasons. Firstly, it gives you a better idea of the timeline so that you and your family can plan and prepare for what lies ahead. Secondly, it gives you a timeline on which to plan your finances. For example, if you meet monthly with your attorney for one hour and your case is expected to take six months, you will need to plan for the cost of those appointments. Keep in mind, however, that not all immigration attorneys structure their fee schedules in the same way, some attorneys charge a single flat rate for specific types of cases.
4. What Do You Believe My Chances of Success to Be?
No attorney can tell you whether or not you are going to win your case with 100% certainty, but based on their previous experience, they may be able to give you a rough idea. For example, if an attorney has handled two hundred cases that are identical to yours and all two hundred have had a favorable outcome, then the chances are that yours will too.
Having a rough idea of how successfully your case will go will give you a better idea of whether pursuing it in court is the right thing to do. Not everyone has the money to go through the legal process and if your chances of success are slim, knowing this ahead of time can help you to decide whether to go ahead with the process at all.
5. Will You Be Handling My Case?
Most, if not all, attorneys rely on the services of other staff members in their practice such as paralegals. Being able to “share the workload” allows for the attorney on your case to take care of the specific tasks that they are skilled at managing. For example, the attorney may have paralegals complete and file paperwork while they take care of court appearances. While this is general practice, it’s also important to make sure that the attorney you hire is still keeping track of and working on your case. You are paying for the services of an immigration attorney and that is what you should be receiving.
6. How Much Do You Expect This Process to Cost?
Again, no attorney can tell you a definite figure when it comes to the cost of your legal case, but they should be able to give you a rough estimate. This estimate is important in helping you to determine whether you can afford to hire an attorney and whether you can afford to continue pursuing your case through the court system.
If your attorney gives you a figure that is almost within reach, make sure to ask whether they offer any type of payment plan for their clients or if they can refer you to someone who does.
7. What Should I Bring To Our First Meeting?
If you are satisfied with the answers that an attorney provides during your consultation and you feel good about them handling your case, you are going to have to set up your first appointment. During this appointment, your attorney is going to require a number of things from you so that they can start building your case and planning the timeline for submitting forms and meeting deadlines. Depending on the type of case you are having them handle, your attorney will require any number of things so make sure to ask them what those things are. This will avoid wasted time (that you’re paying for) the next time that you meet.
Are You Looking For Reputable Immigration Lawyers Pasadena Ca Recommends?
If you’re in the market for reputable immigration lawyers that Pasadena Ca residents recommend, Nelson Immigration Law can help. Just give us a call today at 626-683-3451 and schedule your consultation so we can get started on your case right away!
