I-485 filed, can I fire my current attorney and hire another one?

U

USA_lover

Registered Users (C)
My I-485 was filed which is a good thing to me.
However, my attorney keeps charging me extra money which I never agreed and I never signed any contract about those charges when I hired him.
I was afraid that he would do something to ruin my case so I gave him what he asked.

Right now, I am thinking that he may charge me more money while my I-485 application process is still in progress. Therefore, I am thinking of firing him and hiring another attorney to take over my case
.
My questions are
1. Can I fire him and hire another one?
2. Would my mean and nasty attorney be able to do something to stop my I-485 after I fire him and hire another one?

Thank you for your help.
 
Well Shop Around

If you are intent on getting a new attorney then shop around. I would recommend taking a look at VisaNow.com and www.ilw.com are 2 sites you can try to help you find one. Consult people on this board for suggestions in your area.

I don\'t think that firing you current attorney will have a negative affect and doubt that your attorney could do anything to jeapordize your application. If you think about it if they did you are just one client versus them doing something like that could jeapordize their entire practice. They are bound by client / lawyer privelege so even if you confessed a crime they could not tell on you.

Anyway, back to hiring an attorney. If you are shopping around pay for a consulatation with the new prospective attorney and ask them these questions. After all, if you\'ve already had one bad experience you\'d want to make sure you are making the right decision this time. Good luck with your case and do add/update your data at www.e-nairobi.com/aos
 
I was trying to fire my attorney after I got I-140 approval

In the beginning we agreed upon a certain amount, however he demanded an additional payment for my husband (which was not in the agreement). I checked with www.usvisanews.com guys to see if I could hire them. They have great rates, much less than my attorney is charging (I wish I knew about them before..)When my lawyer figured out what I was going to do he got really mad and said that I would have to pay the agreed amount in full even though he was not going to finish my GC. If not, he\'d sue me big time. I don\'t know if he really would, he might, just to intimidate me and push me around and I didn\'t have the time and money to be dragged into courts. I had to swallow my pride and tried to work it out with him. Despite the anger inside me I tried to be very courteous with him. With tears in my eyes I was telling him how much I liked him working on my case, bla-bla-bla, but with these additional charges I could not afford him and I really-really wanted him to finish my GC process. That, of course, was not true, but I got what I wanted, he is doing my husband\'s GC for free...

The bottom line is, whatever you do, first of all keep in mind that he is a lawyer and you know how lawyers are. They want to get paid and they know how to take advantage of people like us. He probably will demand you to pay him in full despite the fact that he will not finish your GC process, it may not be worth it after all.

Lorenzo from www.usvisanews.com was extremely helpful and I was touched by how much time he spent trying to help me, even though he realized that I might have to stay with my attorney. He was very supportive and helpful and I\'m extremely grateful for that. If you do decide to change your attorney, check with them, you won\'t regret. Good luck!
 
It is a simple procedure to Change Attorney\'s

Fill in the G-28 Form to notify INS about change of Attorneys and that should take care of the stuff , Call INS Service Center to double check that they included the New Attorney\'s Name on your File !!!
 
For all of those new ones out there.....

Learn from our mistakes. I was recommended a good attorney
in the Miami area. Before we even started he gave me a list
of his fees, and we signed on the contract. I had heard too
many bad things about the local attorneys in my town.
Before filing my I-485 I was billed a fixed amount which I paid,
and they haven\'t asked me for any more money since. Every time I get
a panic attack (no receipt notices, no FP) they counsel me and
advice further, free of charge. I really feel that thanks to them
I am really on my way to getting my approval.
 
Followup-- Did you finally change your lawyer?

I am wondering if you have done that and would like to know the detail procedures. Especially like if your previous lawyer was willing to give you all your document for LC and I-140 petition and also the approval notices for those two steps...

Thanks!
 
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