Law Office of Bonnie Stern Wasser
—Bringing People Together—
Consultations & Fees
- Commitment to Pro Bono Service
- Fee Policy
- Initial Consultation
- Make an Appointment
- Billing Policy
- Consultation Checklist
- Do it yourself or hire a lawyer?
Commitment to Pro Bono Service
The Law Office of Bonnie Stern Wasser provides pro bono (free) services with the Northwest Immigrants Rights Project, King County Bar Association Immigrant Clinic, American Immigration Lawyers Association Military Assistance Project and to other organizations. If you need free or low bono assistance, we are happy to refer you to an appropriate organization; or see our Links page.
Fee Policy
Although we are happy to get a general idea about the nature of your case in a brief call or email, fees are generally not quoted over the telephone or via email until you have been interviewed at length. There are a few reasons for this. Immigration laws change rapidly and frequently. Therefore, the field is very fluid and dynamic as well as complex. Your case may require multiple or simultaneous strategies, and/or your dependents may also require services. We usually spend 45 minutes to an hour interviewing prospective clients and sometimes have to do follow-up research. We generally do not have sufficient facts from which to make a recommendation from a brief email or phone conversation. Fees vary for each service and are based upon the facts in your case, results in similar cases, anticipated or actual time of all staff devoted to the case, the complexity or extraordinary nature of the factual or legal issues, the level of skill needed, need for expedited processing, your immigration history, and your ability to pay.
Initial Consultation
Unlike many firms where prospective clients meet with a paralegal or office manager, prospective clients always meet with an attorney and your case is followed and managed by an attorney throughout the representation. You can always ask to speak to your attorney.
Benefits of a Consultation
- You will have an in-depth, personal and confidential interview with the attorney. This is also your opportunity to ask the attorney all of your questions.
- You will learn about strategies, procedures, processing times, likelihood of success, potential issues, and logistics. You may be given information to take home with you.
- You and the attorney will discuss fees and costs, billing and payment methods. These are usually discussed after the attorney learns more about your case and is able to decide what course of action is needed.
Prospective corporate clients are invited to speak to Ms. Wasser to discuss your short and long-term immigration needs. Will there be multiple beneficiaries needing service? Will you need assistance with I-9, H-1B, E-3, or PERM internal or actual audits?
Consultation Fee
The consultation fee for prospective individual clients is $275.00 for the first hour. The fee charged is for the attorney's time spent on your behalf during the consultation and for time spent reviewing your documents before the appointment, if applicable. The consultation and the payment of a fee are not meant to establish an attorney client relationship. This fee is payable on the day of the consultation, except as noted below.
- If our services are retained the day of the consultation, the consultation fee will be waived.
- If our services are retained within 30 days after the consultation, the consultation fee paid for the first hour will be credited toward the total fees on your final bill.
By "retained" we mean a formal written legal services agreement is entered into and a deposit toward the total fees is paid.
Make an Appointment
- Office appointments. If you are in the greater Seattle area, please call (206) 282-2279 to set up an appointment. Please do not show up at the office without an appointment. We will provide you with a questionnaire and a checklist of documents to bring to the consultation. Or, see the consultation checklist below.
- Phone consultations. If you are OUTSIDE the greater Seattle area and wish to arrange for a phone consultation, please call the office or e-mail bonnie@bswasserlaw.com with your address and we will send you a detailed questionnaire and a checklist of items to collect. Send these items back to us along with a check or credit card authorization for the consultation fee, or arrange with our office to make a wire transfer. When returning these documents, include a few alternative dates and times for a phone consultation. We will then call or e-mail you to confirm the appointment time and date. At the time of the consultation appointment, please call our office and plan to spend about an hour. We must receive your questionnaire, documents and consultation fee PRIOR to the phone consultation so that our discussion can cover any issues concerning these documents and to make the consultation the most productive use of your time.
If you need to cancel your appointment, please do so more than 24 hours ahead of the scheduled time. Otherwise, you will be billed for the consultation fee if you are a no-show.
Billing Policy
We provide written fee agreements and dual representation/conflicts disclosure notices. In some cases, we are not able to predict the total amount of fees and costs due to unanticipated actions by other parties or agencies, or changes in the law. Other than the initial consultation fee policy above, flexible billing arrangements are available including hourly, flat fee, or a combination. Most cases are billed on a flat fee basis in stages with certain unpredictable events billed on an hourly basis. Payment plans are available. We accept checks, money orders/cashiers checks, cash, wire transfers and Visa/Mastercard.
Consultation Checklist
All propective clients, please bring/send:
- Resume/CV detailing all education and work experience in the United States and abroad (do not include marital status, # of children, date or place of birth, sex, nationality or immigration status on resumes!)
- Passport (original to interview, otherwise copies of all pages)
- $275 Consultation fee
- Anything not mentioned below that you think is relevant
If you are in the United States, please bring/send:
- I94 (arrival document - both sides)
- I20 (foreign students), IAP66 (exchange visitors)
- I797 (approved visa petitions and fee receipt notices)
- Green card (I551 or I151)
- Copies of all applications, correspondence to and from the appropriate agencies, court filings, fee and mailing receipts, appointment notices, opinions/decisions.
If you have a job offer, provide information about the proposed employer:
- Proposed start date and location of work
- Marketing/promotional information about the employer
- # employees, gross and net income of the business
- Your diplomas, degrees and transcripts - translated
- Copies of awards, recognition you may have received
- Name, title, phone number and email of company contact person
If you have a relative to sponsor or you may be sponsored by a relative:
- Certified copies of birth, marriage, divorce, death certificates and translations for yourself and sponsor
- Proof of sponsor's permanent residence or US citizenship status (passport or naturalization/citizenship certificate)
If you plan to start or purchase a business:
- Please contact us about additional information we will need. As a general rule, we do like to see a business plan at a minimum.
