One of the top questions I get asked is, how much does an immigration lawyer cost?
Is it worth it?
Today I'm going to go through the different buckets of costs that you need to think about
for any immigration process.
Then I'll share estimates of how much you can expect to pay for a high quality lawyer.
And finally, how to assess if an attorney is worth it.
Let's dive in.
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There are two categories of costs to think about when dealing with any immigration process.
One is government filing fees and two is the cost of the immigration lawyer itself.
Now, government filing fees are not optional unless you qualify for a fee waiver, so whether
you hire an attorney or not, you have to pay those fees regardless.
Now, how much does an immigration lawyer cost?
Most people don't know this, but immigration law is federal, which means that you could
live in New York, but work with a lawyer in California if you're comfortable working remotely.
This works for most people unless you're dealing with issues that require frequent visits to
the immigration court such as in removal and deportation cases.
In these cases, it makes more sense to work with a local attorney.
But if you're considering a lawyer for sponsoring your spouse or a citizenship application,
you don't have to limit your search to where you live.
The reason I say this is because you will find some geographic differences in pricing.
A lawyer in California may have higher legal fees than a lawyer in North Carolina simply
because running a law practice in California is more expensive.
However, a lawyer in California may have more exposure to the issue that you are facing.
It's really important to balance cost and experience when looking for an attorney.
The most expensive option is not always the best one, and cheaper doesn't always mean
lower quality.
Now, what if you don't need to hire a lawyer for your entire process, but have a few specific
questions that you need detailed answers to?
You could set up a phone or in person consultation with a lawyer.
Immigration lawyers typically charge anywhere between a 100 and $250 for a detailed consultation
and many will credit this towards legal fees if you choose to retain them in the future.
You'll find many lawyers don't charge consultation fees at all, especially those dealing with
removal and deportation cases.
Now you'll also find lawyers that charge over $300 for a consultation and I don't think
it's necessary to pay that much.
You'll find plenty of lawyers in the 100 to $250 range that are high quality.
Now let's talk about legal fees.
Legal fees vary by immigration need.
Just like a dentist charges differently for a root canal versus a cavity, an immigration
lawyer will charge differently for a family based green card versus a citizenship application.
Most immigration lawyers charge a flat fee for commonly requested services.
For example, the two main components of the marriage based green card process are filing
form I130 and form I485 if you live in the US.
An attorney may charge a flat fee for each stage or just price it together.
Here's an estimate of fees for family based green cards and citizenship applications based
on the immigration lawyers in our network.
Again, you'll find attorneys that charge well above this range, but I don't think it's necessary
to pay that much unless you have a very complex case.
If you want to take a closer look at this, I'm going to link to a blog in the description
below that has this exact table and other resources.
Keep in mind if your application gets denied or the government issues an RFE, which is
a request for evidence, an immigration lawyer will charge additional fees to deal with these
complications.
Lawyers typically charge hourly to respond to RFEs or file waivers on your behalf.
Ask about these potential costs before you hire an attorney.
Is an immigration lawyer worth the cost?
Thousands of people immigrate to the US every year without the help of a lawyer, so you
don't always have to hire a lawyer.
I believe there are two reasons that make hiring a lawyer worth it.
The first is for peace of mind and efficiency sake.
Under the current administration, forms have gotten longer, denials have increased and
RFEs, which are requests for evidence have shot up.
Hiring an experienced attorney reduces the risk of paperwork errors, saving you time
and money.
If you do receive an RFE or denial for any reason, an immigration attorney is better
equipped to handle these situations.
If you're incredibly nervous about your application and have the means to hire an attorney, you
should do it.
If money's really tight and you have a straightforward application such as a citizenship application,
you can easily do it yourself.
Now reason two to hire an immigration lawyer is if you have complex circumstances.
In these situations, an immigration attorney is your best shot at a positive outcome and
you should hire one.
For example, for removal or deportation case, you need someone that has done this before
and regularly goes to immigration court.
Trying to navigate this yourself is like driving a car with a blindfold on.
Even if your case has nothing to do with removal or deportation, if there are any complexities
in your immigration history such as an accidental visa overstay or a brush up with the law where
you weren't convicted or a long absence from the US, it's really important you talk to
an immigration lawyer before you file any paperwork.
And these are just a few scenarios in which the advice of an immigration lawyer is crucial.
For those of you that absolutely can't afford an immigration lawyer, but need one, I'm going
to share a couple of resources in the description below.
But if you have any other questions about this, ping me in the comments and I'll be
sure to respond.
As always, if you enjoyed this video, hit the like button below, subscribe to our channel
and share this with your fellow immigrants.
See you in the next video.