How do you choose the best immigration lawyer? Here are a few tips to help you through the process of finding a good immigration solicitor.
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1. Get recommendations
It’s likely at least one person in your network has needed an immigration solicitor at one point or another in their life. Ask your friends or family if they know a good immigration solicitor. People are very quick when making positive recommendations and even quicker to warn about a bad experience.
2. Compare costs
It may be that you are well informed and your case is relatively straightforward. In this case, you might want to save money and/or get advice from a non-profit organisation that supports immigrants and migrant rights. For example, HSMP forum supports and assists skilled migrants of all cultures and nationalities in dealing with visas, work permits and other immigration matters.
However, if you think your case is more complex and you don’t want to take any chances, or you simply don’t have the time to deal with it yourself, you may want to seek the help of an immigration lawyer.
Before you instruct an immigration solicitor, you should be clear on how you will be billed. Some immigration solicitors may undertake the work on a fixed fee basis, while in some cases, it will be hourly billing. Much will depend on the complexity of your case and the issue the needs solving.
3. Reputation
Reputation is also something you will want to look at when choosing your immigration lawyer. The Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners are key reference sources for anyone wishing to employ the services of a UK law firm. These guides provide detailed reviews of firms and lawyers as well as the full contact details for all the firms listed.
4. Focus of practice
There are various subcategories within immigration: nationality, citizenship, family, asylum, etc. Check your lawyer has a strong background in your case area.
It’s also good to know how many years of experience your lawyer has in practising immigration law, and to research their qualifications. There are different
5. Trust your judgement
Lastly, use your judgement and follow your instincts. Meet the lawyer and have an open discussion about your case. They should be able to answer all your questions and provide you with a clear and complete assessment of your situation. You should be wary of lawyers that guarantee you a positive outcome or lawyers who can’t give a clear estimate of the costs involved in your case. You should be able to trust your lawyer and rely on him.
As long as you follow these pointers, you should be able to find a reliable lawyer who is fully qualified to handle your case.
Legal disclaimer
The matters contained in this article are intended to be for general information purposes only. This article does not constitute legal advice, nor is it a complete or authoritative statement of the law, and should not be treated as such. Whilst every effort is made to ensure that the information is correct, no warranty, express or implied, is given as to its accuracy and no liability is accepted for any error or omission. Before acting on any of the information contained herein, expert legal advice should be sought.
Author
Gill Laing is a qualified Legal Researcher & Analyst with niche specialisms in Law, Tax, Human Resources, Immigration & Employment Law.
Gill is a Multiple Business Owner and the Managing Director of Prof Services - a Marketing & Content Agency for the Professional Services Sector.
