Saw my lawyer...paid retainer - Page 5

Originally Posted by IamAman

He also has the office and employees to pay too, but yeah, he does ok. Looking at the form I already have a couple of questions for my lawyer. Without the lawyer I'd come here and ask I suppose but all it takes is to answer one question wrong and it'd trigger a red flag. Still going through my records but it seems like I am accounted for every month of the time from Jan 1 2010 till present with utility bills and every year before that.

Originally Posted by Shootingstars2014

I started contacting attorneys as well. Never hired one before. So far, only 5 out of 35 replied to my simple email inquiry (just asking if they handle DACA and what their fees would be). Not all of them represent DACA I suppose especially if they are Republicans... Their fees vary, but mostly between $500 - $1200.

Originally Posted by IamAman

Is it a start to finish type of thing or just send out your paperwork type of thing?

Originally Posted by Shootingstars2014

I started contacting attorneys as well. Never hired one before. So far, only 5 out of 35 replied to my simple email inquiry (just asking if they handle DACA and what their fees would be). Not all of them represent DACA I suppose especially if they are Republicans... Their fees vary, but mostly between $500 - $1200.

Originally Posted by Racer X

catholic charities will look over your info for free and see if you have enough to consider an application. they can also do a background check for free. also have someone who has done it look over your evidence. it's not a complicated procedure. the paper work is not even a lot.

Originally Posted by IamAman

So I saw my lawyer today...He's a bit on the expensive side but he's been good to our family (3 for 3 with the complicated green card cases). I'm going to pay him the $2500 fee (not all at once) and they'll get the stuff ready for when the official form and requirements are announced. They will take care of the forms, decide what to send in, and anytime I need anything I can email the lawyer in charge of my case. Oy.

Originally Posted by engineergirl

I have been hearing on the radio and Univision, and previously in the Mexican Consulate advising people that they do not need a lawyer. And they don't. And like you mentioned previously, it might be okay if we were dealing with 19-25 years old who are college educated, blah, blah, blah. But I personally think that this is terrible advice, especially when dealing with people who do not speak English, who do not know how to fill out forms and put together evidence, and who do not understand the law. Shoot, sometimes people don't even know how to write in their own native language. Perhaps their kids who have DACA and filled out their applications themselves do, but what about those people who don't have that help or advantage. I think it's irresponsible to tell people that. I think that they right advise would be, get A LAWYER TO AT LEAST REVIEW YOUR PACKAGE. Stay away from Notarios and go with someone you trust. I seriously don't understand why they vilify lawyers so much. They went to school for a reason just like doctors and nobody ever questions the salary that doctors get. And while there are a few bad immigration lawyers out there ( I personally haven't met any bad ones, most of them are really in it to help the people), it is not in the best interest of the immigrant to say "do not use a lawyer". What if you have criminal record? What if you have a final order? What if you've been deported before? What if you have all these other immigration issues?
Sure, if you have a straight forward case, go ahead and file without a lawyer if you or the person who is not a lawyer and who is helping you feel confident enough that you will not get an RFE or a denial for whatever reason. But I think it's not fair to bash people who do not feel comfortable doing this process without the backup of someone who does this for a living, who went to school for this, who is licensed to practice, etc. Especially calling them stupid for knowing their limitations. I personally think it's humbling. To each their own, I guess. But again, IAmAman, I have learned so much from you from this forum and I don't think you should take this type of criticism lightly, because you know what you're doing, and we should all feel so happy for you and those who will now be able to apply.

Originally Posted by dtrt09

I don't understand how people lump doctors and lawyers in the same professional ring. Just don't. Lawyers are far, far, far away from a physician in education, training, and more importantly, ethics.

The bar (pun intended) is just THAT much higher in medicine. However, immigration law plays into people's lives and futures just as much, and the fact that there's rampant abuse and fraud just illustrates how unregulated immigration law practice is.

When a patient seeks medical care, a physician cannot charge "variable" fees for the same treatment, patients do not get "screened" to determine how much they ought to be charged. A new outpatient office visit, 99201-99205 will cost the same for anybody who needs a new patient visit. Doctors won't charge you more because you are single or less because you have multiple children, or some other supposed "personal" financial criteria.

Example: Total cost for total OB care for one's entire pregnancy (40 weeks plus of care, outpatient routine visits, plus delivery) by a OB surgeon with 20+ yrs of experience, available 24/7, who will keep you AND your baby safe, and deliver your child = $3,800 in the Seattle area. OB practice carries with it one of the highest malpractice insurance rates in medicine (for obvious reasons), and the amount of paperwork, forms, orders, data, coding and organization required is always there, conveyor-like, 24/7. The paperwork required to put DACA applications together is not hard at all. Filling it out is not difficult. You are who you say you are, it is biographical and demographic. Gathering the evidence may be time consuming, but typing the information into the forms shouldn't be difficult. This reminds me of individuals who pay hundreds of dollars to H&R to prepare their taxes - that is, they pay for someone to type their information into tax-computing software and then print them their return! Really.

I wrote this to give some perspective from an industry that continually gathers, submits, and reports critical information about patients and their families, much as immigration practice does about clients and their family members.