Finding a good and trustworthy immigration lawyer isn’t impossible but it isn’t a task that one should take lightly either. Choosing an attorney randomly may get you someone who can´t help you, and you may end up wasting time and money. There are many immigration lawyers but the quality of their service varies largely. So regardless of how urgently you need one, to make sure that you get an excellent professional who can help you on your mission, you have to take your time.
Immigration cases are never simple, regardless of how straightforward the process may seem for your particular situation. While you can technically do everything by yourself, immigration lawyers can make everything easier, guiding you through the entire process.
For instance, they may use immigration software to help applicants avoid mistakes, understand the forms, fill out all the complicated paperwork, and so on. Most importantly the right immigration lawyer can make a difference in the outcome.
Here are some tips that can help you find an immigration lawyer you can trust with your case.
1. Be Strict
If you are serious about immigrating, a good lawyer in your corner can be the key to achieving your goal. This is why you should be strict in your search and focus on finding a true expert, someone professional and experienced. Generally, this wouldn’t be your cheapest option but these expenses are an investment in your future, which will pay off in the long run.
Keep in mind that while referrals can lead you to great lawyers, trusting them blindly can cost you dearly. This is why you shouldn’t let yourself be convinced by someone else’s experience, or carried away by your own emotions. For instance, don’t choose a lawyer only because they speak your native language or they are someone’s cousin, without any further investigation.
2. Choose a Professional
You should make sure that the person who is handling your case isn’t a specialist in several types of legal issues but rather someone dedicated specifically to immigration issues. This person can help you go through the entire process, make sure that you avoid any mistakes, and they should certainly be able to convince you that they understand your particular case and know what they are doing.
3. Compare
It’s more likely to find the right immigration lawyer if you have more options in mind and then narrow it down to the best one. Often attorneys will offer a free first meeting, and this can be a great opportunity to talk in person with several lawyers. This way you’ll be able to learn as much as you can about them, and then compare to finally find the person that can truly guide your case to success.
4. Talk to Them
Talking to lawyers in person will also give you a chance to evaluate them on a more personal level – analyze their attitude, their behavior towards their potential clients, their eloquence, and even their place of work. It can be hard for most of us to put our future in the hands of someone who doesn’t look confident, professional, knowledgeable, or interested in our case. Feeling uncomfortable with your immigration lawyer for any reason is a deal-breaker.
5. Double-Check
While you should trust your instinct, it shouldn’t be the only thing you rely on. Instead, try to find out as much as you can about the person who might hold your future in their hands. Once you have narrowed down your search to one or two lawyers, you should conduct more thorough research.
For instance, if you can, learn about their previous successes and failures. To be extra sure, you may also consult the bar association to make sure that they can legally represent you, they have all of the relevant licenses, they aren’t barred for unprofessional behavior, and so on.
6. Don’t Choose Based on the Costs
There are many sayings and stories to teach us about how paying more at the beginning may turn out cheaper in the end. With something as important as your immigration issues this is certainly applicable.
You also shouldn’t choose a lawyer simply because they are the most expensive either. However, you should make sure that you know the exact fees for everything, find out how they charge and if there may be any additional expenses along the way.
Conclusion
Finding an immigration lawyer isn’t hard but finding the one that will help you get where you are going can be. With these tips, you can be more confident about choosing the right one. However, this isn’t an exact science. Remember that you are in charge and that you have the right to change your mind if you start feeling like you made the wrong choice.