Step One: the free phone or video call
If you wish to see if I can assist you in your legal matter, we should first start with a free phone or video call. At this time, you should have all the essential information right in front of you regarding your situation. It is best if I know your current status if you are in the US and the basics on your education, work experience and family background. We can usually talk for about 20 minutes or so and see if my services and experience matches your needs.Step Two: the paid consultation
If you are in the Washington DC area, we can schedule an in person meeting and go into detail about your needs and goals and how I can assist you. I will give you my advice and a "starter" plan to get you moving in the right direction. I should be able to give you a strong sense of the procedure a head of you and the deadlines you have to watch out for. It helps if I have as many documents to look at as you can find. Immigration law is very document dependent, and the more I can see, the better I can advise you. I charge $250 for the consultation. At this stage, I will not enter my appearance as your lawyer, and because of that, I cannot communicate with any US government official or Court about your case.Step Three: the retainer agreement.- you hire me
If we decide to go forward and open a case in my office, we will both sign a written retainer agreement. I will set out in writing exactly what I will do for you and what your responsibilities are. I will require you to pay money into my lawyer's trust account and I will bill against that amount as I complete the work. I do "milestone billing" which means that there will be certain points in your case when I will withdraw the money and pay myself. An example may be, I earn a certain amount at the time I file the application or make my first appearance before a Court or agency. Another amount will be due when we get an interview or Court appearance notice. This method closely apportions the amount of the fee to the amount of the work being done, without the stress of being billed hourly.We keep fees simple.
Initial Consultation
