I often wonder what happened to clients who did not hire me.
A few weeks ago, for example, a young woman came into my office seeking information about what to do for an upcoming green card interview with USCIS.
She had only been married a short while when her husband filed an immigrant petition for her. She had legally entered on a visitor visa. She let it lapse.
They had filed on their own. The couple ignored considering why hiring an immigration lawyer might be necessary.
Once the petition was approved, her husband filed to sponsor her for permanent residence.
The marriage did not last long.
According to the woman, her mother-in-law did not approve of the marriage.
Although the mother-in-law was an immigrant who had naturalized, she was from a different culture. She did not approve of mixed-race marriages.
As a result of her influence on her son, the couple separated. Now the interview for permanent residency was only three weeks away.
I discussed possible options. None were easy solutions. In my view, the odds of succeeding without legal counsel were slim.
In our strategy and planning session, I tried to point out that she was facing a tight time crunch, yet needed to gather critical pieces of evidence and organize them into a strong package to support her story.
We went over the main issues she needed to be prepared to address, and what information could help her adequately answer such concerns.
She had come to my office with her older sister and brother-in law. Like most immigrants, they had only a limited understanding of the process ahead. They left, armed with better knowledge what to expect, to weigh the next steps.
I heard back from them two days later. They asked for a late evening appointment to get started on moving ahead. They never arrived.
I hope the family did the right thing. I hope they hired someone to help the young woman, rather than leaving her subject to the whims of immigration regulations on a pro per basis.
Also, I hope if this was the route they followed, they made a careful selection.
If not, I hope my explanations were clear enough for them to keep the young woman’s immigration dreams alive.
Far too often, immigrants lose their cases because lesser-known provisions of law are not known or understood by those chosen to help them.
That’s why I strongly believe every time an attorney consults with potential clients, he must do his best to guide them.
For the reality is many clients will proceed without legal counsel.
And if we truly believe in our duty to care, protect, and guide immigrants, our first and only chance to help them might be that intial interview.
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