Immigration Attorneys

Hello all. I've been wanting to make a post for awhile now on attorneys as there's obviously a lot of attorneys that do NOT have your best interests in mind. As someone who works in immigration, I want to go over some red flags to look for when working with your attorney.

1. Interaction with non-clients. When walking in with your attorney to an interview or or court, do they argue with everyone from the janitor to the government employees? If so, they are well known and unliked. So if there's anything in your case that is in a gray area, the government employee will NEVER rule in your favor versus attorneys who can get away with a lot just because of how they treat the staff.

2. Being on time. Appointments are scheduled appropriately and it's no secret that the government facilities allow you to come in early. Most often, 30 minutes early. The government employees do multiple interviews a day but its hard to say how long each interview will take. If you arrive early, you will be first and get out first. Attorneys are well aware of this. Attorneys that arrive AT the appointment time, or later, do this to ensure they get a late interview so they can charge you more money just for sitting in the waiting room.

3. Luggage. Seasoned attorneys are well aware of what's needed in an interview. If they are bringing laptops, tablets, chargers, waffle irons, etc, they do this so they are work on something else while they are supposed to be focused on you and your interview. They just aren't going to take it seriously and the government employees don't take them seriously either.

4. Charging for useless paperwork. It is totally normal that attorneys will file paperwork with other government law enforcement agencies to show that you were a victim of a crime to strengthen your case. There's a line, however. If they are "shotgunning" claims to several agencies and charging you for it, they are wasting your money.

5. Soliciting. If you are detained in a detention center and an attorney you've never met before randomly shows up to visit you after you already went to court, they are trying to scam you.

Now obviously there's more red flags to look out for, but these tend to be the most common that we see. So use your best judgment and good luck!