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Initial Client Conference
The initial client conference fee is $225.00 payable in advance by check or credit card.
The foundation of any good case strategy depends upon a thorough in-depth initial client conference. It is during the initial interview that we are able to collect the relevant facts, help our clients articulate short-term and long-term immigration goals, establish priorities and timelines in view of the various immigration options, and, where possible, decide upon a feasible strategy. At the end of the initial interview, if the potential client wishes to retain our office, we provide a professional services agreement tailored to each individual case. No attorney-client relationship exists unless and until both our office and the potential client have entered into a signed and dated professional services agreement, as mandated by the State Bar of California.
Because we consider this phase of the case to be so important, we prefer to devote at least one hour to the initial client intake.
We provide three types of initial conference options:
- In-person conference:
This is where we meet our Human Resource Managers wishing to hire a foreign national, or the foreign national, in-person. For such meetings we ask our potential clients to provide us with copies of all immigration related documents ahead of time so that we can be maximally prepared for the meeting, which usually lasts at least an hour. We can arrange evening and weekend appointments where appropriate, and can arrange meeting locations at sites other than our own offices, such as a client's place of business.
- Telephonic conference:
For our out-of-area and internationally based clients, we can arrange a telephonic interview at a mutually convenient time. Just as for an in-person conference, we ask that immigration related documents be provided to us ahead of time, so that we can perform preliminary research prior to the conference to make our time maximally efficient.
- E-conference:
We are also pleased to be able to provide an e-conference, where requested. Using e-mail, we ask clients to provide us a brief synopsis of their situation and immigration issues. Based upon the client's narrative, we may send out relevant questionnaires to gather additional information. The answers to the questionnaires and the narrative may provide sufficient generalized information to resolve certain issues or to agree upon an immigration strategy. In most cases, we prefer to follow up on an e-conference via telephone. Video Conferencing capabilities are available via  video calling.
Attorney Fees
Our attorney fees are calculated on an hourly basis and/or under a fixed flat fee arrangement. This fee structure allows for straightforward cases to be researched, processed and filed at a flat fixed fee, which gives certainty to the client, while preserving the flexibility to expand our time commitment and our efforts in the event of difficult, unforeseen or unusual legal complexities that may arise.
Where certain aspects of document production or research can be handled by a paralegal, we are pleased to bill out that segment of the work at lower paralegal rates. No paralegal work, however, leaves our office without prior attorney review and approval.
Administrative costs are borne by the client, ranging from the mandatory filing fees with the different government agencies, to photographs, fingerprint fees, medical exams where required, photocopying and courier mail service.
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