Approximate Lawyer fees and whether to file with lawyer or on own

F

fams

Registered Users (C)
Can you please let me know how much I can expect to pay to file a N400 application for my husband and myself ? We're not sure if we have a strong case or not after spending a month on this forum.


Pros:We have maintained residence continuously -have leases, utility bills, tax returns -all in order for 5 years and more. My husband has hardly travelled. One child was born here. I too have work history until last year .

Cons: 1) I have 7 or 8 trips . 2) My husband left employer around same time as receiving GC and started own business (same line) Changed line after a year , after more than 17, 18 years in same line of work

Do you think it is the same if we apply thru lawyer or our own? How much can we expect to pay reasonably for a lawyer for both of us?
Any lawyer recommendations based upon personal experience will also be greatly appreciated .

Thankyou
 
You dont need a lawyer. But, FYI, one lawyer in Salem, VA asked $1000 + fees, and one in Atlanta, GA - $5,000 + fees.
 
Thank you for your input guys - Really cant afford such hefty lawyer fees. But dont wantto mess up 10 years of work either .....
 
When I was ready to file my N-600 I called a lawyer just to check how much he would charge me to "help" me fill my application and the answer was 1,500.00 HA! I was likt NO THANKS!


Good luck with everything!
 
fams said:
Can you please let me know how much I can expect to pay to file a N400 application for my husband and myself ? We're not sure if we have a strong case or not after spending a month on this forum.


Pros:We have maintained residence continuously -have leases, utility bills, tax returns -all in order for 5 years and more. My husband has hardly travelled. One child was born here. I too have work history until last year .

Cons: 1) I have 7 or 8 trips . 2) My husband left employer around same time as receiving GC and started own business (same line) Changed line after a year , after more than 17, 18 years in same line of work

Do you think it is the same if we apply thru lawyer or our own? How much can we expect to pay reasonably for a lawyer for both of us?
Any lawyer recommendations based upon personal experience will also be greatly appreciated .

Thankyou
Click to expand...

How long were your trips?
 
Compllete the forms thyself.

fams said:
Thank you for your input guys - Really cant afford such hefty lawyer fees. But dont wantto mess up 10 years of work either .....
Click to expand...



You don't need a lawyer for N400, especially if you don't have a complicated case. A complicated case could be someone who was caught smoking marijuana while speeding in a residential area, which will definately require a lawyer,especially if they were convicted of possession and reckless driving.:( Last example, if you were caught with a dead hooker in your hotel room or dorm room, stood trial and found not guilty by reason of the hooker having expressed a desire to die from "happy endings",:eek: then you need a lawyer to help your case though N400 adjudication. Your husband changing his line of work or business over 2000 times, that's not a crime at all, it demonstrate his desire to find success. :cool:

If all your trip were less than 6 months, you have paid all taxes owed to tax authories throughout the years, please save that money and complete the forms thyself. ;) This forum exist to answer questions which you might have, I mean any question that you might think of, there is someone in this forum who has faced it and solved it. We are here to provide assistance because we love sharing our knowledge acquired through trial and error. :o

good luck,
 
Fams,

Given the sketchy amount of information you have provided, it sounds like a straight forward case and would not require a Lawyer for either person. Providing of course your 7 or 8 trips did not break the residency rule by intent or actuality.

I am curious then to know why after monitoring this forum for a month you and/or you husband think you may not have a strong case.

If you give more accurate details then people here will be able to give you more cogent advice. It seems that there may be more to this than you have so far explained.

As I have alluded to above, given what you have so far provided, I cannot see any reason your case might not be "strong."

Better information results in better opinions from the good folk here.
 
Whichwaytogo
We feel a little wary due to 2 reasons:
1) My husband has no W2s from his GC sponsoring company , after the GC. As I had already mentioned I think, his company owed him wages. He did not protest at that time, because our necks were on the line and GC approval was just a month or so away. He waited for another month after GC and when no wages was forthcoming, left and formed his own company.

2) My trips which were of the following days in duration:
103
75
121
180
2
171
104

Other than these 2 reasons, we dont think wes have anything that could be a problem .Are these anything a lawyer can help us with , you think?
 
fams said:
Whichwaytogo
We feel a little wary due to 2 reasons:
1) My husband has no W2s from his GC sponsoring company , after the GC. As I had already mentioned I think, his company owed him wages. He did not protest at that time, because our necks were on the line and GC approval was just a month or so away. He waited for another month after GC and when no wages was forthcoming, left and formed his own company.

2) My trips which were of the following days in duration:
103
75
121
180
2
171
104

Other than these 2 reasons, we dont think wes have anything that could be a problem .Are these anything a lawyer can help us with , you think?
Click to expand...



In forming your company, did your husband file for a Tax Identification Number for companies? Is he a sole employeee of this company? Did he file taxes on behalf of this company? It appears as if you are looking for someone to validate your hiring of a lawyer. This is something which you need to decide on, do you want to spend that much money on a simple case, assuming there are no complications that you aren't willing to disclose.

During these trips, is there anyone of these trips which were over 300 days a year? For example, you left for Indian on January 1, 2005 and returned to US on June 29th, 2005. Remained in the US for about a month or so, left on August 15, 2005 and returned to the US on Dec 15, 2005?
 
fams said:
We feel a little wary due to 2 reasons:
1) My husband has no W2s from his GC sponsoring company
....
2) My trips which were of the following days in duration:
103
75
121
180
2
171
104
Click to expand...

Not getting the W2s suggests to me, not having filed for one or more years. That could be a problem. The USCIS will not be interested in the W2s but you would need to have Tax transcripts back for *at least* the past 5 years showing you have paid Taxes and owe nothing, or are on an IRS payment plan if you do still owe. I have read posts here where the IO has asked for Tax docs even further back.

The transcripts are free and can be mailed to you by calling the IRS 800 number and ordering them for the years you need. You can go to the original employer and ask for the W2s as it is the Law and they must provide them. You can then file a return or an amended return for that/those year(s). Wait until that all clears up with the IRS and then apply with the N-400 and transcripts.

The trips, and I am not all that knowledgeable about the trips but the duration between them could be an issue. If there was only a few days or week or so before the end of one and the start of the next then that might raise some doubt about your continuous residency.

If your Tax history is not in order (totally clear) then I doubt there is anything hiring a Lawyer will achieve until the Taxes are all taken care of.

Just my opinion and I have been wrong before and will no doubt be wrong again. :) I am NOT a Lawyer NOR an Accountant so please draw your OWN conclusions and make your OWN decisions carefully.
 
Some clarifications regarding our case:
1. The longest duration of my trip abroad was 180 days which was still less than 6 months since I left on Dec 8th 2007 and came back on June 6th 2009 . There is one trip In 2008 that the total number of days in a year that I have been outside is over 300 days
2. All our taxes are in place for all 5 years .
3. After GC ,my husband was working by himself as a diamond broker and while filing taxes , the accountant put it down as a company -so there is no TIN number . The reason my husband does not have a W2 for the year 2005 when he received his GC , is because his company did not pay him at all and that is the reason for him quitting in the first place.
4. My husband was with the GC sponsoring company from 1999.(We have tax papers and W2 from then) But his GC was filed only in 2003 and he recieved it in 2005. SO there is clearly no intent to fraud , right?
What do you think?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Fam,

As I have said I am not all that knowledgeable about the trips for continued residency, but 300 days does seem to be pushing it although your husband was still here so that may validate residency.

I assume you are referring to the 121 and 180 trips. If they were back to back it may raise some concern. Do not take my word for it though as it sounds a little complicated and would most likely be down to the discretion of the IO and how they interpret the entire issue as a whole.

The USCIS will not care about the W2s or what or when your husband was paid if anything. Providing you have clear Tax records there should be no problem with that aspect. If you have been filing Tax jointly that should assist the continued residency issue with your long trips.

Please do not rely on anything I have said, it is just my opinion on the system and it may be all totally incorrect. You have to make your own decisions on these issues.
 
A friend of mine paid $2,000 + fees to a lawyer in Dallas, TX. You can also try the unlimited immigration consultations with the legal membership at bestimmigrationlawyers.com. You pay a monthly fee and can consult with their attorneys as long as needed. If you decide that you want to hire them to represent you officially, they will quote you a price. I'm not very well familiar with the N400 application, but I think that throughout the consultations you'd be able to decide if you need representation or not.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top