To say that you need to do your homework ahead of choosing a London Immigration Lawyer would be an understatement to say the least. Right now, the capital is packed to the rafters with literally thousands of different legal professionals and each and every one of these has 100% unique experience, qualifications and areas in which they specialise. No two lawyers are ever identical and it’s for this exact reason why it’s important to invest plenty of time and effort into your search – you’re looking for the perfect fit for your own needs.
Now, on the surface it sounds like a bit of a foreboding prospect on the whole. Make the wrong choice and your visa application is as good as toast, whereas a good choice could make the application process as simple, quick and likely to succeed as realistically possible. However, when push comes to shove there are really only five steps you need to follow to make sure you put your fate in the hands of the very best immigration lawyer currently practicing.
So, with this in mind, here’s a quick overview of the five steps that guarantee you excellent representation for your visa application:
1 – Search Far and Wide
First and foremost, never forget that the narrower the field from which you select your lawyer, the less likely you are to end up with a professional that fits your every need right down to the ground. By contrast, cast your net far and wide using the web and you’ll most likely find the right lawyer for the right price and with all the necessary experience. The Internet has made it easier than ever before to find and compare literally hundreds of immigration lawyers, so it’s in your best interests to do exactly that.
2 – Seek or Demand References
Before taking so much as a single step forward with any immigration lawyer across the board, be sure to look at their references or ask for references if none are offered without prompting. The competence of any lawyer in any field will always be measured in accordance with their successes and failures, which in this case means making sure that the lawyer you’re looking to take on doesn’t have a 25% success rate. If they’re proud of their track record, they should be more than willing to share details of their success stories with you. If not, it’s probably for a very clear reason…one you don’t want any part of.
3 – Create a Shortlist and Speak to Them
When you have narrowed things down to say a half-dozen or so immigration lawyers that all seem to be up to the mark, take the time to speak to each of them individually. What’s important to remember here is that you’re the client and they’re the ones vying for your business – not the other way around. As such, you can be every bit as selective as you like and take as much time as necessary – something a professional lawyer will acknowledge and encourage. Think of all the questions you want to ask them ahead of time, pay them a visit and get them to plead their case and hopefully convince you.
4 – Take Fees Into Account
The subject of fees can be a complicated one to say the least, which is why you need to make sure you iron out all the details in advance. Where some will charge you a flat rate for the whole deal, others will charge you by the hour. In addition, some offer all-inclusive services while others will charge you extra for travelling and perhaps even bill you for things like postage costs. As such, you need to make sure you fully understand the fee structure of the lawyers you’re looking into and never enter into anything that’s not 100% transparent.
5 – Credential Checks
Last but not least, one of the most important things of all to look into before going ahead is the lawyer’s credentials. Now, what’s important to remember here is that credentials alone don’t count for everything – it’s one thing to have qualifications up to your eyeballs but this doesn’t mean much if you’ve never won a case in your life. As such, it’s a case of carefully balancing credentials in accordance with experience in order to find an immigration lawyer that ticks all of the right boxes across the board. It’s never a good idea to look for one over the other – you need a good mix of both.