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Asked 3 months ago - Brea, CA
Flagi think this is too much for the whole process when i heard of Notaries charging 200 and haven't really asked around with other lawyers but mi thinking of going with another lawyer . don't really trust notaries 100% for my immigration forms .
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Notarios who assist immigration clients with immigration advice are committing aunaulorized practice of law when they give legal advice. The person can be charged with criminal offences and face civil penalities.Many times the money spent to notaries is wasted and much more has to be spent to attorneys to attempt to remedy the improper acts of the notary.
People with limited finances may qualify for legal assistance from the local legal services office, from the local attorney pro bono programs that offers assistance from qualified attorneys, or from local immigration clinics that are authorized to assist immigrant clients - where law students assist those with financial need through the supervision of attorneys.
Good luck.
Please do not go to notary public for help in your deferred action application. As mentioned by other colleagues, it is illegal for them to practice law without a license.
I strongly advise you going to consult an attorney to go over your application. I have done quite a number of deferred action applications in the past few months. I can say that although the application form is simple to fill up, the supporting documents that need to go with it could be crucial to the success of your application. Your documents should show that you have met all the requirements of the law.
You certainly can shop around for an affordable attorney. If your case is not a complicated case, such as you had violated some laws in the past, you may go to some non-profit legal aid foundations for help. However, if your case is a complicated one, you need an experienced attorney to deal with it. Most non-profit legal aid foundations will not deal with complicated cases.
If the scope of services covers the entire process, this sounds like a good price to me. Notarios are less expensive, but you get what you pay for. Just today I spent hours working through a messed up deferred action application that was prepared and submitted by a non-lawyer service because the documents presented were insufficient. So, the applicant has paid one person already and will have to pay a lawyer to clean up the mess. It's definitely more expensive that way.
The consequences can be quite severe and the notary/notario doesn't have the same duties to you as a lawyer would. The difference in price can mean (but doesn't always mean) the difference between success and failure.
Either way, good luck.