# What Can an Immigration Lawyer Do for Me? How Can an Immigration Attorney Help me?

- Link: https://www.lumlawgroup.com/what-can-an-immigration-lawyer-do-for-me-how-can-an-immigration-attorney-help-me/
- Published: 2019-09-13T10:10:49-07:00
- Author: Albert J Lum

In reading our online articles, you might think we’re suggesting you don’t need 
a lawyer for your immigration case.  After all, we tell you about [the USCIS online services](https://lumlawgroup.com/Staging/should-i-file-my-uscis-immigration-application-online/),
we discuss [new immigration policy changes](https://lumlawgroup.com/Staging/3-changes-to-the-2019-eb-5-program/),
and we even explain [how to prove your case](https://lumlawgroup.com/Staging/how-to-prove-extreme-and-unusual-hardship/).
But this is not our intention. We do believe our services are of value, and we certainly
do not believe our articles should be taken as legal advice.  Always [contact our office directly](https://lumlawgroup.com/Staging/contact-us/),
preferably by phone, to discuss your unique immigration case.

You may wonder wherein lies the value of an immigration attorney? How can an immigration
lawyer help me? Why should I pay more when I can fill out the form myself? Here’s
our why:

### 1. Legal Knowledge

While you may adept at googling information on the world wide web, an immigration
attorney is trained in…immigration law.  An immigration attorney spends years studying
in law school, and then graduates and continues to read additional books, government
policies, and immigration court cases to find relevant information to help his or
her clients.

Finally, where a paralegal may be trained in procedural tasks, an attorney is trained
to think critically, to analyze your case, and to think like an adjudicator–in other
words, the person deciding the outcome of your immigration case.

### 2. Legal Representation

When you do-it-yourself, you literally are on your own.  When you hire a paralegal
to prepare things for you beforehand, you still have to present it by yourself in
front of an immigration officer, ICE officer, or immigration judge. The paralegal
cannot represent you.  They might be able to accompany you for moral support, but
that is the limitation of what a paralegal can do for you.

An immigration lawyer can represent you in any and all of the above settings.  The
immigration attorney can visit you in the detention center. They can accompany you
for your immigration interview. Or they can appear before the immigration judge 
and speak on your behalf.

If you have doubts as to your confidence in representing yourself in important immigration
matters, hire an immigration lawyer to do what he does best: help you.

### 3. Agency Experience

While not all attorneys have agency-specific experience, it’s important consider
this quality when evaluating immigration attorneys. Choose competent, experienced
legal representation.  Attorneys who have steadily grown in the same company, come
from a family practice, or who just have years and years of experience will surely
know the best practices for dealing with the government agency in questions.  How?
From trial and error.  An immigration attorney with more years of experience will
have had more cases than a new law school graduate or an attorney who doesn’t specialize
in immigration.

When choosing an immigration lawyer, choose the one who knows because there was 
once he didn’t know. Don’t let your case be the guinea-pig.

 

Do you have questions about the complexities of your immigration case? [Make an appointment](https://lumlawgroup.com/Staging/schedule-an-initial-consultation-with-albert-lum-esq/)
to meet the experienced attorneys at Lum Law Group today! Call **626-795-8886**.