Shari Lisa Moidel

I am a US citizen. My husband originally came to the US from Central America with a student visa. Unfortunately, he eventually fell out of lawful status. But for the immigration law violation, he is in all ways law-abiding. However, he joined the millions of undocumented immigrants in the US, livin...g under very stressful conditions, always looking over his shoulder, worried about being deported. He could not leave the country, or he would be barred from returning; nor apply for a social security card; nor obtain a driver's license; nor work legally. I was completely clueless what it meant to be in a relationship with an illegal immigrant. Never having dealt with anything illegal, it was a slap in the face when I became aware of how restrictive his life really was and how it negatively impacted our relationship and my life. After being together a decade, we decided in 2008 to formally become a couple under law. Gay marriage wasn't yet legal but either a domestic partnership or civil union would give him most if not all the same opportunities as an actual marriage- at least in New York city. Once we were finally married, I reached out to GMHC and they provided me a list of gay friendly lawyers that specialize in immigration. I contacted every single attorney and interviewed each one asking about the overall process to sponsor my spouse; the timeframe to complete this; and the total cost. I listened to their responses and trusted my instincts, weeding out everyone I felt wasn't attentive to hearing my concerns, wasn't indicating they’d be pro-active and somewhat aggressive in getting us through this process as quickly as possible (and furthermore, some implied the process might drag on, thereby signaling that the cost for their services might grow to something I feared being unable to afford). Shari stood out from the crowd. I distinctly remember my initial conversation with her. She was very articulate, listened to our concerns and after vetting our history, explained the overall process, cost and expected timetable. She set fixed, competitive fees. At no point were surprises sprung on us financially. Shari has been with us every single step of the way for the multi-year process for my husband to adjust status to lawful permanent resident from being an overstay, to now being a full American citizen. Shari always kept us informed of developments and never left us floundering or wondering what's going on. She laid out the process in a clear and comprehensive way, and everything happened the way she explained it would. At one point in time, I had tax bills which I had to pay in full before she could help my husband apply for US citizenship. While it took some time, I paid off my outstanding debt for federal, state and city tax arrears- and now have my own sense of freedom. Shari is deeply caring and is by far one of the most honest, thorough and effective lawyers I've ever hired and stand by that statement 100 %.