FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Immigration Lawyer

No, we do not. The consultation fee is $250, which makes it possible for us to deliver the following value our clients greatly appreciate:

• The consultation is booked for an entire hour, and can be in person or over the phone – this is always the client’s choice. A lot is accomplished in that hour. We take our time to listen, so that you never feel rushed. We engage in detailed, in-depth discussions and analyses to give you the best legal advice.
• The consultation is always with the attorney; never with a legal assistant.
• We value our clients’ time; everyone is seen promptly at their appointment time.
• Our consultation is offered as a service separate from any representation we may or may not offer. We answer your questions and give you legal advice, and the consultation fee is our compensation for that service. 
• We understand that not everyone needs to hire a lawyer. Some people just need to consult a lawyer with their list of questions and no expectation of starting a case. That works for us too.

A consultation is not always required. You are welcome to call our office at 702-243-9444 to inquire about our ability and availability to take on a matter. Just keep in mind please that (1) we cannot always attend to unscheduled phone calls; (2) we will not be able to give any legal advice; (3) we will try to quote a fee during the brief free case evaluation by phone, but this often times requires a consultation.

No lawyer can ethically guarantee a specific result, so it is unethical to guarantee a successful outcome. See Nevada Rules of Professional Conduct adopted by the Supreme Court of Nevada.

When it comes to the immigration laws specifically, there are many factors affecting the case outcome. We have little to no control over some of them, which makes it particularly difficult to predict the outcome and, again, unethical to guarantee a specific outcome or success.

MERITED CASES CAN BE DENIED

The government agencies processing immigration benefits always seem to be dealing with a workload that far outweighs their capacity.  The benefit can be a visa, permission to stay in the U.S. temporarily or permanently, or even U.S. citizenship. Decisions affecting these benefits are too often made rashly and based on a distorted or incomplete understanding of the facts.  Our goal is to present facts in the most favorable and compelling way to advance our clients’ interest. However, the adjudicator must have the time and be receptive enough to form a complete and accurate picture of the case. Too often this is not what happens and, unfortunately, merited cases can be denied. 

BIASES AND PREJUDICES OF IMMIGRATION AND CONSULAR OFFICIALS

As officials adjudicating immigration benefits are human beings like the rest of us, they may have biases or prejudices. Their worldview – and the flexibility or inflexibility with which they are tied to it – will affect how they see the facts in your case, apply the law or assess your credibility.  

WHO DECIDES THE CASE IS OFTEN A MYSTERY

Furthermore, many decisions on immigration petitions and visas are made anonymously. They are made by government employees who may be thousands of miles away from you. In many cases those officials will not see you or even talk to you on the phone. However, they will be looking over a pile of paperwork and deciding a matter as important as your future in the United States. This is even though you may have paid hundreds or even thousands in government fees. We have no control over this anonymity factor simply because, for better or worse, the system is just so set up. 

REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS

Any lawyer’s duty to a client requires continued support and counsel throughout the representation. However, it is important that clients have realistic expectations. What I described above is part of the reality of many immigration cases, and how one’s immigration journey can get rough, long and uncertain. Any professional who attempts to sugar-coat this reality is either disingenuous or still very new to the field of immigration law. 

Probably not. With the help of an immigration lawyer mistakes are a lot less likely to happen, so the process is more likely to be faster in that sense. These can be mistakes that would otherwise cost you a lot of time and possibly require you to start the process all over. 

Currently I am seeing delays like I have never seen in over 20 years of working in the field of immigration law. Some of the cases go through stages with each stage taking months or even years. If you are wondering whether an immigration lawyer can expedite the process, the answer in most cases is no. 

Yes. Any immigration matter we handle in Nevada we can also handle in any other U.S. state. Read our Practice Areas.