Bart Stroupe

Bart Stroupe

It appears this may be a fake review. Perhaps "Niko W." spoke with another lawyer named Bart then assumed it was me (there are several others). She seems to have been calling lawyer after lawyer to get advice, and had the expectation that lawyer after lawyer would give initial advice over the phone for free. She certainly did not send me an email with any questions, and she did not identify herself as "Niko W." if she called me to begin with. Regardless, if she called to ask about legal services, I would have told her the same thing I tell anyone else who calls -- that I would be happy to have an initial consultation for a fee, at which I would review her paperwork and explore options that address her immigration questions. For initial consultations I insist that potential clients pay the fee first, using the payment methods on my website, before I will schedule a meeting. This is to protect the potential client, because if I make quick comments or offer even simple advice over the phone after a short discussion, which would be advice based on incomplete knowledge of the facts and evidence, it can result in a disaster for the potential client in the world of US immigration law. For the past two years, the current administration has thrown up an unending series of roadblocks that seem intended to impede immigrants and lower the number of immigrants coming to the USA. What were once settled and predictable paths toward immigrating have turned into dangerous traps for the uninformed and unwary. Given this turn of events, I devote extreme caution and care to the legal advice I provide. That takes much more time, and unfortunately costs more for clients who want legal advice regarding their cases. Finally, being able to help someone depends a lot on the specific circumstances and expectations of the potential client. Sometimes a potential client wants a specific result; other times she wants to know what to expect given the facts of her case. Even when I cannot provide her with the result she desires, most potential clients appreciate knowing the unvarnished truth about what lies ahead.