Should I use a solicitor?

[travelerzee]

Hi guys,

I am planning on applying for a tier 1 visa in July, but i dont know if I should use a solicitor or apply on my own.

I was told that the government currently charge a processing fee of £840 and the solicitor i contacted has a representative fee of £960 including VAT.

Has anyone used a solicitor before? Or can you recommend one?

Thank you very much!

[crowbar6]

Hi guys,

I am planning on applying for a tier 1 visa in July, but i dont know if I should use a solicitor or apply on my own.

I was told that the government currently charge a processing fee of £840 and the solicitor i contacted has a representative fee of £960 including VAT.

Has anyone used a solicitor before? Or can you recommend one?

Thank you very much!

If your case is straight forward, then there is no need to apply via a lawyer. Read the relevant guidance on UKBA website, and follow the threads on this forum relevant to your case. This will give you enough information to prepare your application for a July submission. You may ask your queries and get forum member their opinion, and also request them to review your application before submission.

I suspect that the lawyer's fee is over and above the application fee of £840 charged by HO.

[travelerzee]

thanks for your reply.

yes, the solicitor fee is over and above the cost of the application.

I was told that if you apply via a solicitor, there is less chance of being turned down. Hence i am considering using one.

[ChetanOjha]

You can use one if you think your case is not straight forward or if you think you will not be able to apply on your own. Many people in this forum initially thought the same but then applied on their own and got approved. Application process is not a rocket science. All you need to do it collect all your relevant documents(which is the toughest part and which solicitor cannot do it for you) and apply.
You can take help from this forum when required. You will be fine without solicitors help too.

thanks for your reply.

yes, the solicitor fee is over and above the cost of the application.

I was told that if you apply via a solicitor, there is less chance of being turned down. Hence i am considering using one.

[arsenal49]

lawyers only are helpful when there is a complication in your case e.g. past immigration history, unavailability of certain documents as lawyers will try to make up for those things via other sources through their expertise.

If you have all the document requested in application, then your case is straight forward and you should not need any help from lawyer.

regards

[travelerzee]

thanks

[pepene]

I am going through an agent (quiet pricey) £1200 all inclusive + £1050 home office fee simply coz the ones that assess the case (are a bunch of school dropouts) this is what I heard from multiple sources and I know atleast 4 people who were refused even though they were straightforward.

I wasnt willing to take chances and also my agent got a premium appt. I dont know the outcome yet but its next week so will update if nearly £2500 was worth it or not!

[travelerzee]

wow, thats expensive.

But i've heard also heard similar things. the solicitor i may use has a 'no visa, no pay' fee. so i think i've decided to try on my own first and make sure i have all paperwork.

good luck with yours!

[Vitavi]

I also used a solicitor with my application. He chaged me £1400 because i have 2 dependents. But in overal i am happy with the service. This is mainly for two reasons:

1. Your solicitor can assess your case and tell you whether it would be successful or not. Then he can assess all your documents, check whether eveything is in order and make sure that the application is filled out correctly.

I also thought i would be fine without a solicitor. I filled in form and collected all the documents. However, still decided to consult a solicitor afterwards. After reviwing my form, he found 3 places which were incorrectly filled out, because i misundestood the questions. He also showed me extracts from the guidance to confirm his points. So, i trust him.

2. The HO would be more careful while considering the application submitted by a solicitor. This is because all solicitors are regulated by a required society, and it is unlikely they would be dealing with the case which they think is going to be unsuccessful. There is no 100% guarantee that such the case would be approved though (simply because the applicant didn't disclose vital information to the solicitor, for example), but in overal the success rate through solicitors is much higher.

[pepene]

I also used a solicitor with my application. He chaged me £1400 because i have 2 dependents. But in overal i am happy with the service. This is mainly for two reasons:

1. Your solicitor can assess your case and tell you whether it would be successful or not. Then he can assess all your documents, check whether eveything is in order and make sure that the application is filled out correctly.

I also thought i would be fine without a solicitor. I filled in form and collected all the documents. However, still decided to consult a solicitor afterwards. After reviwing my form, he found 3 places which were incorrectly filled out, because i misundestood the questions. He also showed me extracts from the guidance to confirm his points. So, i trust him.

2. The HO would be more careful while considering the application submitted by a solicitor. This is because all solicitors are regulated by a required society, and it is unlikely they would be dealing with the case which they think is going to be unsuccessful. There is no 100% guarantee that such the case would be approved though (simply because the applicant didn't disclose vital information to the solicitor, for example), but in overal the success rate through solicitors is much higher.

exactly vitavi I agree

with regards to the former posting: no win no fee (they are the not so good companies) and if they lose then you lose your HO fee and dont pay them so they just basically go fishing. I would go with a reputed one rather than a no win no fee one but again I dont know my outcome till mine is submitted on Friday good luck

[ismetsa]

I used a lawyer to switch from Work Permit to Tier 1 general which cost me 595 pound. I found them really professional and helpful.

[travelerzee]

would you mind recommended the Lawyer you used?

Has anyone ever used 1st Contact? I am considering using them.

[ismetsa]

http://firstmigration.com/

They located on Holborn.

[travelerzee]

great. thanks!

[travelerzee]

I have found a few agencies/ solicitors that i might use. Do you think its better to use one within the UK or from my home country. the costs are pretty much the same. I am not in the UK and will be applying as an outside applicant.