Iniatial Interview W/Lawyer Precense

M

mrwilson

Registered Users (C)
Hi, I am scheduled to have my iniatial interview on January '08 and my lawyer gave me a call stating he was required to be there and he would charge me for his services.

The question is: Do I need him to be there? Am I am required to have a lawyer, and secondly...what are the advantages and disadvantages of having him there?

Thanks for the input!

Dave
 
HAHAHAHAHAHA... :D

He is NOT required to be there... he is just trying to get a free meal out of you (or maybe more than that).

He can not answer questions for you, he can not do anything, and unless you case is a tough one I would not want him there.

Just the fact that he is lying to you, by saying "he is required to be there" makes it fishy... He may have handled your case, but the only persons needed there are you and your wife.

Do not fall for it, your lawyer may have to debts to pay and is trying to get some extra cash from you, but he is not needed there. NOT AT ALL.

Lawyers... :rolleyes:
 
Thank you PraetorianXI! The reason he is stating that he has to be there, was before when I was younger I committed a misdermeanor crime which he charged $$ me to so-called write a biography stating that I was cleared. Which I feel so ripped off. Now this guy is stating that he needs to be there.
 
mrwilson,

you never need lawyer representation. It may be helpful to someone to have a lawyer, but USCIS does not require it. Many of us went through the entire AOS process without a lawyer. Looks like the lawyer has done his job in writing your document explaining the misdemeanor, but he certainly doesn't need to attend the interview unless you want him there. You're paying him so you get to decide if you want him, or another lawyer, or only you and your wife at the interview.
 
Thanks for the reply austriacus, this lawyer is expensive....he charged me $800 dollars to just write a simple one page paper stating that I completed my community service hours, I paid my fine, and that I am cleared from everything. So by him wanting to be there, I questioned that. Since the letter of appt stated that I CAN have a lawyer there...I was just going to go with my wife.

I think he saw the tax forms from my sponsor and wanted to milk me even more. Not sure, but my crime has been done for and I will be honest in answering any questions regarding my past (misdermeanor crime). I am now in a much better place, I am 1 month from completing my masters and my beautiful wife supports me. I just hope to get all of this done and over with, there isn't a day that I don't think about what I did when I was young and stupid. Committing a crime was an expensive way to wake me up but I am glad it happened. It made me a better person than I was.

I guess this lawyer keeps on pointing out my fault/weakness and wants to milk me more. He already received $800 for a 1/3 page stating my crime and that I am cleared.






austriacus said:
mrwilson,

you never need lawyer representation. It may be helpful to someone to have a lawyer, but USCIS does not require it. Many of us went through the entire AOS process without a lawyer. Looks like the lawyer has done his job in writing your document explaining the misdemeanor, but he certainly doesn't need to attend the interview unless you want him there. You're paying him so you get to decide if you want him, or another lawyer, or only you and your wife at the interview.
Click to expand...
 
First of all, I would obtain copies of everything your Lawyer filed on your behalf. If after a review of those documents you are comfortable with answering any questions asked of you by an IO, then you should do well without the Attorney.

Just make sure that you are in agreement with everything he has submitted.

If you are not comfortable or you feel your case has some issues which if asked about may cause you some discomfort, then ask the Attorney to come along. I am sure you can negotiate a comfortable fee.
 
It does sound like he wants your $$$, however that's what they all want. My officemate was charged $5 grand attorney's fees for his EB petition and had to fill out all the forms himself.

I agree with asPapi, review all the documentation that the lawyer sent on your behalf before deciding to go to the interview without him ... but if you're on top of your case you should be fine going with your wife alone. Might also be more pleasant than being accompanied by a lawyer.
 
Thanks, I am going to see him tomorrow and see what he has to say but won't be needing his services. I had to call him for a copy of all my documents he submitted on my behalf. To me that's not right...I pay the money and he doesn't even provide me with copies.
 
one thing you should make sure is that crime eventhough if it is misdermeanor has no bearing on your eligibility for Green Card. Crimes of even small magnitude can cause mess and at times unexpected outcome, due to the USCIS interpretentions. Make sure you have all the paper work court documents/penalities and clear interpratation of the crime form USCIS view. Good Luck
 
How old were you when you committed the crime? What country? What was the crime?

To answer your question: No, lawyers are NOT REQUIRED to be there. In a situation like yours, I would call a 2nd attorney, present your dilemma and ask if they would suggest having a lawyer present. Call a few of them. Some may not want to talk until you pay, some will divulge tons of info before retaining them.

So, to sum it up, your lawyer is NOT required to be there ... but maybe he should be!? And if a lawyer should accompany you for this - do you want it to be him? $800 is a lot for a draft of a letter... consider Daniel Huang... www.danielimmigration.com - great lawyer, honest, knows a lot about the law and has very fair rates. You can contact him for a consultation as well.

Good luck.
 
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