When it comes to legal services, there are few practice areas that are as life-changing as those provided by an immigration attorney. These professionals are entrusted with representing people’s hopes and dreams for themselves and for their families. Choosing the right one can smooth your way to citizenship, while an immigration attorney who is disinterested, overwhelmed, or unqualified can make an already frustrating and complex situation even worse.

If you, a family member or a friend are in need of an immigration attorney, there are certain qualities and characteristics that you should look for, and others you should avoid. Be especially cautious about receiving advice from non-attorneys. There are many immigration service providers who are staffed by paralegals and other support personnel who are not actually lawyers – only a lawyer is qualified to give you legal advice.

When seeking an immigration attorney, you want to make sure that they are truly engaged with helping you and understanding your situation, and it’s equally important that they spend a significant amount of their professional time working on immigration cases. Though it’s not necessary for your immigration lawyer to exclusively work on helping people become citizens, there is no question that the more familiarity they have with ins and outs of the process and the intensive paperwork that is involved, the better you will be served.

Another thing to look for is the level of support and expertise that the attorney has available to them. A firm that is a sole practitioner will have fewer resources both in terms of expertise in a wide range of immigration topics and in the time that they have to fill out paperwork, return your phone calls, and handle other administrative tasks. Though a smaller firm will be likely to respond to you on a more personal level, a larger firm is more likely to be able to move nimbly, answering your questions and reacting as complications arise.

One of the best ways to identify an immigration attorney you can trust is to ask friends, neighbors and co-workers for recommendations. There is nothing like a testimonial from a trusted source to inspire your confidence.

If you are in need of an immigration attorney, our firm has a long and successful record of providing help to those in need. Contact us today to learn more.