Whether you can legally work in a country is determined by your immigration status. Hence, finding the right lawyer should be paramount. But you may not have enough legal knowledge to help you effectively screen through lawyers.
For large cities like Hartford, there are swarms of professionals everywhere, and it can become overwhelming to find reliable immigration lawyers in Hartford, CT.
However, when searching for a competent immigration lawyer, there are a few tips that you can keep in mind to help you through this process.
1. Conduct research
Looking for a competent immigration lawyer can seem a daunting task. You might be confused about where to start looking for a lawyer—do you start from the internet or simply walk into law firms around you? To be honest, both are good places to start.
Research helps you narrow down your options to select firms or independent immigration lawyers that meet the criteria you choose to place importance on.
Your research can show you which lawyers are swift in communication and response. This quality is particularly important since immigration cases can take up to a year to be concluded.
You wouldn’t want to be saddled with a lawyer that takes a long time to respond to messages. This can negatively impact your case when there might be a need for you to file additional documents. If your legal representative cannot be reached, it can be incredibly frustrating and detrimental to your case.
Research can also reveal to you the kind of expertise that’s required of an immigration lawyer. Your research should inform you about what to look out for when hiring lawyers who specialize in immigration cases.
A criminal lawyer, for instance, may pick up a few immigration cases, but that does not make them an expert in the field. It should become your priority to screen prospects through research.
2. Consider getting a referral.
Referrals are one of the best ways to find a reliable immigration attorney, as it shortens your search time. If the person who refers an immigration lawyer to you has successfully used their services before, it can also allay your concerns about finding a lawyer with a high success rate.
You can utilize the quality of your network to find an immigration lawyer. If your direct contacts do not know any such attorney, they may know other people who have gone through similar processes.
These people can even serve as a good base source for first-hand information on what the requirements for filing an immigration case are. They can also lend you insights from their own experience, guiding you on what to look out for and the things to avoid.
3. Qualifications and credentials matter
The immigration process can be a complex affair. It is also capital-intensive and time-consuming. Hence, any step being taken must be done so correctly to avoid wasting resources.
Confirming the qualifications and credentials of any prospect that you have narrowed down should take the front seat in your search for a reliable attorney. Find out what these qualifications are and run checks at your local state bar.
Alternatively, you can check with the associations they belong to, such as the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), where all the lawyers there have the right qualifications.
It is also quintessential to run other kinds of checks as well. You’ll want to know if a case of unethical practice has been filed against them or if there have been complaints about their services in the past.
4. Quality over quantity
In a bid to find a lawyer that will represent you as quickly as you can, you might be tempted to hire just any lawyer. This is usually the case for many if these lawyers have the numbers to corroborate their claims of expertise and professionalism.
However, you would do well to prioritize quality over quantity. More often than not, lawyers who have a large client base do not have the time to focus their energy and expertise on the cases.
They run their procedures on a defined and self-standardized protocol that may not be what your particular case requires. The choice of quality over quantity is also reflected in the cost of hiring an immigration lawyer.
High rates do not necessarily mean good services, just as lower rates do not mean bad legal representation. However, it is best not to put a lease on the cost when deciding on the immigration lawyer to hire.
5. Book a consultation and interview your prospects
Once you have whittled down the list of prospects to a select few immigration lawyers, book a consultation with them. This will allow the immigration lawyer to review your documents and get an idea of what your current immigration status is to offer proper guidance.
This guidance includes the kind of visa to apply for, additional documents to file, more conditions that need to be met, and so on. Consultations also create an avenue for you to ask your lawyer questions and generally interview them.
You can also decide through one-on-one consultations if they seem trustworthy and, therefore, reliable enough to legally represent you and your interests.
Final thoughts
Be wary of law firms or immigration lawyers that guarantee a successful outcome for your application. Most times, they only give such assurance to clinch you as a client with little care for their integrity. Avoid legal representatives that do this.
Good luck with your search in Hartford, CT.
