Just to update as what happened to our case...contrary to the recommended path suggested by many over here to postpone the filing till we are back to the US for good, I decided to go ahead and try the process. So, we filed for our N-400 in early July. My wife stayed back in the US after her biometrics were done. We had our interviews in mid October and both of us were recommended for approval. Unlike, what I was expecting, the interview went very smoothly. The IO noticed and confirmed that I was working and living abroad at the moment but he moved on after verifying that I had no single trip for more than 6 months.
After about 4 days of interview, my wife got scheduled for oath and was sworn in. While, I had to wait for about 40 days before I was scheduled for the oath. It took a total of 3.5 months for my wife from the time of filing till oath. Whereas for me it took about 5 months.
I believe, the lawyer was not that incompetent after all. I was just being more skeptical about the whole situation. The lawyer was pretty confident that even if the IO had gone down the path to question my job and all that, he had a good case to respond with given that my wife was staying in the US and I was just commuting to work - albeit a thousand miles commute!
I would just like to iterate though, everyone's situation is different. One should do a good homework and plan things out well before deciding to take up a commitment outside of the US - preferably speak to a good attorney. Stick to the plan, and not get panic, or start asking around. The people who are responding to your queries are not familiar with every detail of your case and thus can only give a generic point of view.
