Why should you hire an immigration attorney rather than handling the case yourself?

If you are not experienced with legal matters and immigration cases, it will likely be difficult for you understand the legal issues in the case and how your situation applies to those issues.  You may feel unsure about completing your forms, if you cannot be certain they are correctly filled out and properly supported by other documentation.  Completing forms incorrectly can result in delays in your case.  And misunderstanding your legal situation can result in dramatic complications to your case that can change the course of your future in the United States. 

A qualified and experienced immigration attorney can benefit you in the following ways:

·         Knowledgeably keep you updated with the latest changes in U.S. immigration law and procedures.   Changes are frequent and often some of these changes are not always publicized well.  

·         Help you determine the best case strategy, given the facts of your individual situation.  Many cases can take more than one path and these options can be confusing. 

·         Represent you before the immigration government agencies and at U.S. consulates around the world.

·         Advise you at all the stages of your immigration case, changing strategy if necessary.  

·         Prepare all legal documents for filing with USCIS or other government agencies, along with correct filing fees, at the correct office of these agencies.  Such filing instructions can change quickly. 

·         Know what is expected in the forms filled for USCIS or other government agencies.  It is not always clear how the forms should be completed or what documents should accompany the applications/petitions.

·         Help you sort out the incorrect immigration information from that which is useful. 

·         Represent you at and prepare you for USCIS interviews, where careful scrutiny by USCIS officials is the norm.  Such interviews can often be intimidating for those seeking immigration benefits. 

·         Be available to resolve complications that can arise in the immigration case. 

·         Use government contacts to attempt to resolve cases that get stuck in the immigration system.

·         Appeal an adverse decision denying your petition or application, if necessary, and advise you on what to do next.

·         Help you build the best and most documented case possible, increasing your chances for approval. 

·         Save you considerable time in completing the complex and significant paperwork required in the average immigration case. 

Attorneys in the United States are required to attend three years of law school following obtaining a Bachelor’s degree.  After law school, they are required to pass a state bar exam, a very difficult multi-day exam.  Competent immigration attorneys engage in frequent ongoing study of immigration matters and are members of the American Immigration Lawyers Association.  Attorney Lauren Reinhold has been licensed to practice law in Kansas and Missouri since 1997 and is a member of AILA.