When immigrating to the UK, there are a number of forms, documents and formalities that are to be taken care of. Along with that, if there is any possibility that you need a representation in the courtroom. Therefore, getting lawyered up beforehand is a good decision to help you understand the process and guide you through it. But choosing one from a number of choices available can prove to be a lot of work. Here’s a list of things that you should consider while choosing your immigration lawyer.
Expertise:
The competence of the lawyer plays a huge role in hiring one to represent you. A number of organisations claim that their solicitors have all the required expertise in a given sector and it becomes difficult to choose one. Therefore, you can have various parameters to judge their competency.
- Training: UK immigration laws go through changes from time to time. Hence, you should seek an organisation which makes its solicitors go through continuous professional development training. Since the immigration laws in the UK frequently change, providing expert training is necessary for this field. A good way to judge a particular organisation’s expertise is by seeing whether or not they provide training through any accredited training provider.
- Writing: most organisations write blogs to share about different cases they have handled or blogs for various law sites. There will be many who may have written books for academic uses which will be mentioned in their bios, and their review is obviously available online. Many organisations will produce good, insightful writings which you can use to judge the areas where they have their expertise.
- Reviews and testimonials: a good way to judge an organisation’s expertise and success rate is by going through their reviews and testimonials. You may also ask the organisations to provide you with some clients’ referrals to ask them about the organisation and how they have helped them. A good organisation will have no shortage of happy clients and will be enthusiastic about providing you with one. You can also ask for their previous cases that can give you an insight into their level of expertise and you will know about their reputation.
- Awards: a lot of organisations are going to use various awards that they have achieved in their lifetime to flaunt their expertise. But, if you are going to judge their expertise, you should also take a look at the awarding bodies. If they have got the awards from legit awarding bodies, then you have found yourself a good solicitor.
The focus of practice:
Immigration has various subcategories to it such as nationality, citizenship, asylum etc. Therefore, you should search on your solicitor’s background or the organisation to know in which area their expertise lies. It is also good to know how long they have been practising immigration law, particularly in your required area.
Competitive fees:
Charges are a key factor for many people to decide on their solicitor. Many organisations put up a rough charge outline on their websites and fix it when you sit and discuss with them. You should always discuss what all services they are going to include in a particular charge. There are many mediocre level organisations who charge way too much, but they handle the cases inefficiently. You may talk and discuss with a few finalised organisations and from among them, negotiate and compare the prices to decide on one that suits your needs. In the end, you should always look at the reputation, expertise and competence of the organisation that is worth your money.
Regulator
Individuals or organisations who provide immigration are either regulated or are exempted from regulation. Unless exempted, immigration advisors are regulated by the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC). Exemptions are mostly for solicitors regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) or the barristers regulated by the Bar Standards Board (BSB). Not many organisations highlight their regulators, but you may ask for that information. It is imperative that you know that the solicitor or organisation that you’re choosing is a regulated one and not some fraud.
Osbourne Pinner Solicitors
Osbourne Pinner Solicitors has a team of highly professional and learned solicitors who have dealt with numerous:
Family Law, Business Immigration law and Individual immigration law matters.
Our team of solicitors always stay updated on the immigration laws; they work dedicatedly to uphold our client’s interests. We have a string of happy and satisfied clients to prove this claim of ours. We have made a few blogs and case studies available on our website as well for your reference. If you are looking for any advice or a legal representation to help you with your immigration into the UK, you are most welcome to Osbourne Pinner Solicitors whose team will work for you to guide you through the process and provide you with the best results.
Contact us today for proffesional legal advice from our legal experts.
