Initial Consultation
An initial consultation is when the attorney learns key facts about you and your circumstances, conducts screening and legal analysis to determine what benefits or relief may be available to you, makes decisions about benefit eligibility, potential paths of action, and optimal case strategy, and defines what choices you may have to make.The purpose of a consultation is to give both you and the attorney enough information to decide what case type is viable, whether you can provide the documents necessary to win such a case, and whether both parties wish to work together toward a common goal. The facts the attorney learns in initial consultation, and her strategy recommendations based on those facts, serve as the basis for all future actions and decisions taken by that attorney in that case, and form the basis for the legal fee quoted. It is of the utmost importance to be honest. Undisclosed facts which come to light later may change the case analysis and strategy, may close off available courses of action, and may impact your eligibility for benefits, chances of success, timelines, and fees.
It is also crucial to understand what is not within the scope of initial consultation. The attorney has not yet been retained, and has not yet agreed to represent you. For liability reasons, the attorney will not perform the following services as part of a consultation:
- Review forms prepared by you or someone else, that you plan to file on your own.
- Draft or edit letters or affidavits to be submitted in your case.
- Advise you how to answer specific questions on immigration forms.
- Advise you which forms are required for your case.
- Provide document checklists.
Such services may not be covered by the attorney’s malpractice insurance, and may violate DHS regulations on preparing or advising on applications and petitions submitted without an attorney.
All information provided to the attorney before, during, or in support of your initial consultation is strictly confidential.
Consultation fee is $500, due in advance. That covers review of identity & visa status documents, CV or resume, education and other credentials, and copies of any prior immigration filings or correspondence from the US government, provided 24 hours ahead in PDF; one Zoom meeting of up to an hour; and one email within two weeks after our meeting for follow-up questions. Consultation does NOT include attorney review of any forms or letters you have drafted in preparation for a future filing.
If you click on the booking link to schedule a consultation, be patient: do not navigate away from the page while Square is processing your payment, or Appointy will not pull you back to the calendar page where you must select and save an appointment date & time in order to generate a Zoom meeting link.