How Do I Prepare for an Initial Consultation with an Immigration Lawyer?

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Every client that requires the legal services of an immigration lawyer is placed in a unique situation. For instance, one client may be applying to become a citizen of the United States while another client is facing deportation from the United States. But regardless of what one’s case may be, they must start their journey with an initial consultation. Without further ado, continue reading to learn how to prepare for your initial consultation with an experienced Baltimore County, Maryland immigration lawyer at Sheri Hoidra Law Office, LLC.

How do I ready myself for an initial consultation with an immigration lawyer?

Your immigration lawyer may take the lead as your immigration case plays out. However, in the beginning, you must do some heavy lifting to properly prepare them to take on your case. This is the best way to ensure that they can do their job as effectively as possible.

With that being said, you must show up to your initial consultation with an immigration lawyer with the following documents in hand:

  • A copy of your passport.
  • A copy of your birth certificate.
  • A copy of your marriage certificate, if applicable.
  • Copies of police documents and court documents related to your criminal record, if applicable.
  • Any immigration applications you have already filed.
  • Any immigration notices or orders you have already received.
  • Any documents you were given when you entered the United States (i.e., your I-94 arrival documents).

What questions should I prepare to ask an immigration lawyer?

Understandably so, the legal path ahead of you may seem daunting and you may have a lot of questions about what the future holds. So it may be in your best interest to jot down a list of questions you wish to ask your immigration lawyer. This is so you do not leave anything unasked while being fed an overload of new information.

With that being said, you may want to ask your immigration lawyer the following questions:

  • Do you have experience in handling cases like mine?
  • Do you know how to communicate in my native language, or should I hire a translator?
  • What other documents must I collect for my case?
  • What other actions must I initiate for my case?
  • How long is my case going to take?
  • How much is my case going to cost?
  • In your opinion, what is the best legal strategy for my case to have a successful outcome?
  • In your opinion, what are the chances of my case having a successful outcome?

As you may likely conclude yourself, there may be a lot of hurdles to jump through in your immigration journey. So you should not hesitate in reaching out to a skilled Baltimore County, Maryland immigration lawyer at Sheri Hoidra Law Office, LLC.