Solicitor or DIY

[laurel]

Hi guys,
when applying for a spouse visa and a dependant visa, would you advise I go thru a solicitior or try to file it myself...............im erring on the side of the solicitor and have spoken to one , who has been excellent by the way,.
I know they can be notoriously difficult to fill in and get right , so i thought id throw it out there for advice.
Cheers

[KeithD]

It's free to do it yourself, and the majority do with no problem.... plenty of free help on here.

[stevewool]

all depends on the cost and can you aford it too, any form is hard to fill in what i do is print off 2 forms and start to fill it in , once finnished and you are happy then use the other one , its down to you and how happy you are with forms, remember lots of help on here to help you along

[stevewool]

wow boss man we think alike are we joined at the hip

[laurel]

My gf is in the Phils , Solicitor told me she has to file there for her and 2 children aprox£2,000 give or take, I have to provide the world and his wife with all sorts of criteria as many of you will know.
He said that his costs are £1000 should be 1500 ( 500 per person) was a reputable solicitor so im not worried on that score........just a bit frightened of it all..........plus my gf of 2 yrs feels living here will be financially hard........im feeling a bit pissed off right now actually.

[Steve.r]

Laurel, like has been said, there will be lots of help here should you need it. What we did when we were thinking of 'just' a visitor visa was to print off a few copies, both of us (here and in phils) and just go through each question one at a time while on Yahoo and fill it out together. It takes time I grant you that, and can be a bit frustrating, but it will avoid you spending that hard earned cash.

Steve

[stevewool]

first of all laurel, you must get the right visa you sais a spouse visa but you just said your gf so make sure its the right one

[estherboaz]

I think its better to apply on your own.The guidance on how to fill up the form and the necessary documents you need are all in the VFS Website.
Basically, the solicitor will just help you in filling up the form and compiling the requirements which you can do on your own.
When you submit your application, solicitor wont be able to help you coz they only allow those visa applicant to get in.Aside from that they cannot help in the visa decision.It all depends on the proofs you will submit.

[somebody]

Unless you really need assitance with forms or have a very complicated case I cant think why you would pay a solictor. Everyone strugles with forms so many on here aincluding myself have asked questions regarding how to fill in the forms. A answer came back in no time..

Save the money and use the knowledge and experience on here. 2000 pounds would be better in your current account or high interest little difference at the moment it seems which will be of more help towards your application than a solicitor in my view..

If your Mahal has problems and you cant qutie help her with the questions plenty of Visa filling in Tagalog speakers on here

[joebloggs]

unless there could be problems some where in your app, i wouldn't use a solicitor

a spouse visa 95%+ of people don't have a problem getting their visa

you only need to search on here and you'll find hardly anyone has been refused a spouse visa..
you say shes your g/f i take it your applying for a fiancée visa then ?

and your g/f has 2 children, your need to show she has 'sole responsibility' for them and custody of them,,,

[sars_notd_virus]

have you got any legal problems with the documents to submit for spouse visa? if yes,then a solicitor is best to assist you ..if not, just check on the vfs website for updates and in this forum as all advices are free.
I had a successful visa application for spouse with dependent...if you need any help,just give me a shout

[laurel]

Thanks for the replies guys,
Ok to make things a bit clearer, shes my gf now , but early next yr we are getting married.
Her 2 children are coming with her ......Solicitor said that she has to apply for spouse visa,(after we are married) and at the same time apply for 2 dependant visas one each for her children.....this will cost aprox £2,000 just under actually, and has to be filed by her in the Phils............i need to supply all criteria here, which i am able to do, but it does seem a bit of a minefield

[joebloggs]

well 'all you need' is
evidence that your relationship is genuine.
that you can support them without recourse to public funds - having a job and 6 months of pay slips, 6 months of bank statements showing you have some savings (£2,000+)
a place for them to live without it be 'overcrowded'
and because your g/f has children evidence of 'sole responsibility' and she has custody

does the children still have contact with the father ? is he named on their brith certs ? has your g/f always looked after them?

[laurel]

well 'all you need' is
evidence that your relationship is genuine.
that you can support them without recourse to public funds - having a job and 6 months of pay slips, 6 months of bank statements showing you have some savings (£2,000+)
a place for them to live without it be 'overcrowded'
and because your g/f has children evidence of 'sole responsibility' and she has custody

does the children still have contact with the father ? is he named on their brith certs ? has your g/f always looked after them?

Thanks Joe........yes up to speed with the requirements, and there shouldnt be too many probs, my struggle is shes over there im here, ....the application side bothers me...........ive been on the vfs website and im none the wiser..........do we both have to apply??..........im sure im missing the obvious but lts doing my head in