[gwop]

Since the $4000 retainer I paid was to cover legal services during the ICE investigation, which supposedly ended on that same day, what type of expenses/costs would the Attorney be using that retainer for, if we have not had any case update/development since he took my money?

When I questioned the Attorney he told me he would have returned from his vacation in a week and at that time he would have been happy to show me what he had done about my case. However, two more weeks have gone by and I never heard back from him either. Should I ask him to show me an accounting of his work and in case ask for my money back?

[smoothy]

If this was completely done in a single day... it will be the first time in history that's happened. Everything that happens there at the INS takes time. Not days, or even weeks, but months.

If you are demanding an itemized accounting of all time so far... expect to be billed for that time it takes to draw up.

As far as what some of those detailed expenses would be... research, filling out forms, time on the phone... and some others I haven't thought of but basically anything they do related to this case will be charged... including time spent at the copier machine and the costs of those copies.

Don't expect anything free after the initial consultation.

[gwop]

No, it wasn't done in a single day, but I unfortunately only realized I needed to hire representation after they had already done all their research and questioning around and when the Officer asked us to go meet with him as the last step of his investigation. That's when I hired the Attorney, who advised me not to go to the meeting. So the day I paid the retainer was also the last day we heard from the ICE Officer and the last day I heard from my Attorney. He did not contact me at all whether it was to ask me for any details, my SSN, copy of my Passport, nothing. Shouldn't I be the first to know what type of approach he was going to take if he was indeed doing anything on my behalf? Shouldn't I have been copied on any correspondence he may have exchanged with the Officer?

Again it was not done in a single day, in fact it is not over yet, but shouldn't I be kept up to date about what they're doing if they are doing anything?

[smoothy]

I'll agree you should be informed of something... but not every single thing that happens, or every bit of corespondence. That will significantly increase what you are going to owe. Time is money and they will charge you for every single minute they deal with any aspect of your case.

Keep in mind dealing with the INS... you are far from the only person having issues with them... so the wheels do turn slowly... be glad they turn at all. THey have two speeds from my observations... Slow, and Slower.

I spent 2 years dealing with them once... and I know people who have hired Immigrations lawyers to resolve issues and most of those took well over a year and substantially more than you have spent on the retainer.