What You Should Know Before Hiring Washington DC Immigration Lawyers

By Marie Stewart


When you have to deal with issues related to immigration, you should consider hiring an immigration lawyer. It is important to note the situations when help from such an expert is required, and the qualities you have to look for before you make a choice. For residents of Washington DC immigration lawyers can be hired from within the state, or outside. This is because immigration issues are usually federal so a lawyer from any state can help you.

Many people are not sure whether they need an attorney, or not. Being undecided can hinder proper decision making because you are not sure whether the decision is necessary. After all, there is a lot of information available publicly from the immigration department. It is good to realize that the departments are not liable, or responsible for the information they provide. So it is up to you to make sure you understand. It is therefore good to get help from a legal expert.

You might have encountered people who claim to be immigration consultants. Such people normally operate without a license so you should not consider them legal experts. Even if they are likely to charge you a very affordable price for the service, you will be disadvantaged if you choose someone dishonest because there are limited options for recourse.

It may not be very easy to evaluate and choose an attorney to represent you because there are so many offering these services. You can use the fees charged by the attorneys as your yardstick when evaluating them. The evaluation is also good because it will help you know the current market rates. Any attorney whose rate is way beyond what others are charging might not be genuine. You also need to find out whether an attorney has faced disciplinary actions in the past.

After serving many clients, a lawyer will cultivate a certain reputation. This means you have to confirm whether the prospective lawyer you have in mind has a positive reputation. If there is a lot of criticism about the services offered by the attorney, you should not hire him or her.

It is better to choose an attorney who specializes in this area only. Immigration laws keep changing with time, which means that the lawyer must be up to date with the latest developments. Someone practicing in different areas of law might not be able to keep up with these changes.

The ratio of lawyers to paralegals in a firm matters. Many firms in Washington, DC hire several paralegals to assist their lawyers in handling cases. This way, they can keep costs manageable. However, if the ratio is more three paralegals per lawyer, it means that most aspects of your case will not be handled by the attorney you hire.

Do not forget to assess the level of workload a potential lawyer has. Some lawyers take too many cases, making it hard for them to concentrate fully on each case. Even when an attorney seems fully qualified to handle your case, you should not hire him or her if you think the workload is too much. These tips will help you identify the right attorney to handle your case. This will ensure that you have sufficient information for your case. You will also be sure that the one you have chosen will dedicate enough time to your case.




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