Shabana Bukhari 
In this blog, readers will learn how to enquire a free consultation with the best immigration lawyer near your location.
What is a free consultation?
A free consultation is another way of describing an initial meeting with an immigration lawyer of your choosing which does not cost you any money.
It must be highlighted that consultations are not usually free of charge and so before booking a consultation with an immigration lawyer they should disclose to you their prices for a consultation. On average, these consultations will last around 30 minutes or up to an hour. Therefore, their prices will reflect these time frames.
For instance, by following this link and scrolling to the bottom of Henleaze Law’s webpage you will be bale to submit your information that will help us contact you about a consultation: About Us – Henleaze Law. You will have to disclose your first and last name, email address, phone number and explain your situation.
What should you discuss during your free consultation with your immigration lawyer?
As a consultation is simply a short meeting with an immigration lawyer to decide upon whether you wish to use them for your application. You do not need to provide certain documents that will eventually be used in evidence sent to the Home Office in support of your application or appeal submissions.
Instead, during your free consultation with your immigration lawyer you should discuss the application you wish to make in the broad sense, as well as your personal situation. The immigration lawyer will likely pose certain questions about any previous applications you have made and your immigration status in the UK. This is so they can judge how best to advise you and certain evidence they need to obtain from you.
It is also important that you as the potential future client walk away from your free consultation feeling confident in the immigration lawyer’s ability to handle your case. Therefore, it is equally as important for you to ask certain questions:
- Do you need any documents or evidence from me to evaluate my case?
- Are there any barriers or problems that the immigration lawyer can observe when hearing about your situation?
- What are the next steps to my British immigration application?
- When should our next meeting be and in what circumstances, such as in person or over the phone?
- What is the estimated timeline for my application in your immigration lawyer’s previous experience?
- Is there any inclination of your success rate in your immigration lawyer’s opinion?
- What is the fee structure that your immigration lawyer uses and when will I obtain a written statement as to what my case will cost?
How do you know your immigration lawyer is ‘the best’?
Whether your immigration is ‘the best’ is an extremely subjective and broad question. However, we will choose to define ‘the best’ as based on previous client’s satisfaction rates which can be translated through the various modes below:
- Online reviews:
Online reviews are one of the best ways to figure out if an immigration lawyer is ‘the best’. There are many reviewing platforms which allow previous customers to rate advisors and rate them out of five stars. For instance, browse Henleaze Law’s rating on Google Reviews and Trustindex: https://www.trustindex.io/reviews/henleazelaw.co.uk. As a team we have achieved the full five out of five stars across these online platforms.
Within each review you will be able to read about what previous clients have applied for and in some cases, this may be the same application as you are wishing to make. Grasp their experience and success rate quickly. In some cases, they may even recommend members of the team which they worked with and were suitably impressed by.
- Word of mouth:
Word of mouth from friends, family, neighbours, or work colleagues are an extremely important way to grasp whether an immigration lawyer is ‘the best’. The benefit to this method is that you are hearing first hand from someone who you trust.
- Professional standards:
Finally, it is important to check that professional standards are met by the immigration lawyer in question. As discussed above they should be accredited by the OISC (Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner). Follow this link to the OISC website: home.oisc.gov.uk/adviser_finder/finder.aspx where you can type in any immigration advisor in Bristol and see if they are registered. For instance, Henleaze Law’s registration number is F201900071.
How to locate the best immigration lawyer near your location.
Locating the best immigration lawyer begins online, or through word of mouth. It is best to begin with a handful of immigration law firms in your area and then proceed to narrow down your options. If distance from your home postcode is an important factor to you when choosing an immigration lawyer, then when browsing the internet, you are able to use a map to look at the distance the immigration firms are from you location.
Once you have selected lawyer firms which are closest to your location, you can further research into whether they are ‘the best’. This starts by reading google reviews as this will provide an accurate picture of the level of service they provide and whether their team is compiled of trusted immigration lawyers. In some reviews, specific names of lawyers are used, and many clients will discuss how positive their experience was under their guidance.
FAQs
What is a free consultation?
A free consultation is an initial meeting with an immigration lawyer of your choosing which does not cost you any money. Usually, it will last around thirty minutes to one hour.
Are free consultations common practice with immigration lawyers?
Free consultations are not usually common practice with immigration lawyers and so it is key that before booking a consultation that they disclose their prices. They will usually be fixed prices for a 30 minute and 1 hour consultation.
What should you discuss during your free consultation with your immigration lawyer?
By following the various questions stipulated above, such as “Are there any barriers or problems that you can observe when hearing about my case?” or surrounding the immigration lawyer’s fee structure. It is important that you discuss these questions with your immigration lawyer during your free consultation because you should be able to walk away with certainty and confidence in their ability to handle your case.
How do I know that a lawyer is ‘the best’?
You will know that a lawyer is ‘the best’ in their area by following the tips above and importantly reading online reviews or hearing reviews from friends or colleagues. However, also ensure that beyond this they are trusted professionally which can be ensured by searching for whether they are accredited by the SRA.
Will my case be successful with ‘the best’ immigration lawyer?
This is highly dependable as the UKVI makes the final decision on your application which a lawyer no matter how trusted has no control over. But by ensuring that the immigration lawyer you are entrusting is experienced by doing your research online and reading reviews. Their legal advice and expertise have various benefits, such as minimising the risk of rejection and therefore increasing your chances of success compared to acting independently.
Should I be worried if the immigration lawyer has some bad reviews from previous customers?
It depends how many bad reviews they receive and if they are followed up with an explanation. Firstly, the immigration law firm should on average have a high number of stars and so if they rank very poorly with customers this will reflect in the stars they receive. This suggests the firm may not have the best success rate with their customers. However, be wary as nowadays some of the reviews may be fake and so verify them by reading the short caption explaining why a certain previous customer has rated the firm poorly.
What is professional accreditation?
This is assigned to companies showing that they have been approved by a professional body and so the service they provide is trusted and reliable.
What types of applications can immigration lawyers help me with?
Immigration lawyers can help you with many different types of applications. These include varying types of visas, such as UK Skilled Worker visas or Spouse visas. They will assess your eligibility and give advice on which visa is best suited for your needs. Lawyers will also take over the application process for you, simplifying it and helping you complete it.
However, there are many other applications other than visas which they can help with, such as applications for British citizenship, work permits, appeals and seeking asylum in the UK.
Summary
In this blog readers will have grasped what free consultation involve and the information you are likely to disclose during this meeting. Additionally, what makes an immigration lawyer ‘the best’ and how to locate one in your area has been discussed.
Please contact our expert team of immigration lawyers at Henleaze Law on 0117 908 4625 for legal assistance with various British immigration applications, appeals or asylum queries. We can discuss consultation options and fees with you, as well as the many benefits consultations bring to you as a client.
