When our clients call Ware|Gasparian, they are asked the name of their paralegal. Many clients wonder why we do this. Our attorneys are often out of the office attending interviews, hearings in court, or speaking engagements. They are also often in consultations with potential or current clients. Our paralegals are more likely to be able to take your call immediately or assist you with your question or concern quickly.
Many times your questions may be answered by the paralegal, or the paralegal will consult with the attorney if they are not able to provide an immediate response. Ware|Gasparian not only finds this the most efficient way to handle case inquiries, but it also continues to foster the rapport between the paralegal and you, our client.
It is important to remember that even though you work very closely with your paralegal, paralegals are not authorized to practice law. Thus, there are instances when only your attorney may respond to your inquiries and they will notify you of such instances. While you will typically be in contact with your paralegal, you should feel free to contact your attorney at any time if you have questions or concerns. Your paralegal is assigned to your case as a point of contact to assist the attorney in communicating with you regarding your case status, requesting documents or information, and preparing the forms and applications for attorney review before submission to any government agency.
Ware|Gasparian paralegals have experience in all types of immigration law amongst them, and their prior experiences working with litigation, removal and deportation, naturalization, humanitarian, employment and family-based immigration cases are what set us apart.
For your convenience, we have drafted a general outline of types of topics to discuss with your paralegal:
- Questions about the process of your specific case;
- Questions about forms for your case;
- Questions about processing times with government agencies;
- Questions about processing times with our firm;
- Assistance in drafting statements or translation of documents;
- Determining documents required for your case;
- Referrals for degree evaluations;
- Explanations of documents;
- Correspondence regarding case details, such as notices from government agencies; and
- Problems with your case – Paralegals will assess the issue and refer to the supervising attorney if necessary.
Because your paralegal manages your case, they are usually the most familiar with the intimate details of your case; for example, whether you are planning to travel or have a child. It is just as important for you to establish a good rapport with your paralegal as it is for our paralegals to work well with and for you.
The paralegals at Ware|Gasparian work very closely with all of the attorneys for each case that our firm handles. Your supervising attorney does just that: supervises the case, while the paralegals work with you, the clients, to make a successful application to the government.