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| Photo: pressfoto/ Freepik |
When it comes to matters of immigration it’s vital to be armed with a trustworthy and competent immigration lawyer, after all your livelihood and home many be at stake. People may come to the attention of immigration officials for many reasons, from being pulled over by law enforcement for a broken tail light to missing a few too man classes in college or for a historical criminal offence which has come to light. Either way, you want to make sure that you have someone who knows the law and who you can trust on your side to help you fight should you need to.
Here are 4 tips to help you find a good immigration lawyer:
Research and check their qualifications and credentials
When searching for any lawyer it’s important to check their credentials and qualifications to make sure that they are who they claim to be and not someone simply looking to profit from someone else’s misfortunes. Check the year in which they got their license to see how long they have been practicing for and run a check to see if they have had any ethical complaints against them or if they have had to face any disciplinary actions. You may also wish to do some research about them online to see what has been written about them and to see if they are known as specialists in their area.
Set up a consultation or interview
To make sure that you find the right immigration lawyer for your case you will want to speak with them either in person or over the phone. If you cannot pay for a consultation fee then search specifically for ‘free consultation immigration lawyer’ to find those who will allow you to speak with them for free before deciding whether to hire them or not. The interview stage is your chance to find out more about each lawyers areas of expertise and to ask them questions about their previous experience with cases like yours - they may not be able to give you specific facts about other cases but they should be able to provide you with certain facts or figures to help you understand their experience.
Ask about fees up front
No one enjoys talking about money but it’s important to ask your immigration lawyer about their fees upfront before you start taking legal advice from them in order to avoid any surprises later down the line. Although money shouldn’t be your only decision maker when choosing a lawyer it is a deciding factor so don’t be afraid to speak about the price of their service and make your own budget restrictions known.
Request that they provide you with some references
References are a great way to get to know a little more about a lawyer from people who have actually worked with them. Ask your lawyer to provide you with a couple of references whom you can contact. Ask them questions such as how contactable your prospective lawyer is? How they handled sudden changes in their case? Or whether they were reliable and punctual to all court dates. This information is very valuable and can save you a lot of frustration and stress later down the line.
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