Full Representation or Consultation: How to Work With Your Immigration Lawyer

We understand that every client has different needs and comfort levels when it comes to their immigration journey. Some clients want a professional to handle every detail from start to finish. And some just have a few targeted questions and need one-time advice.

To accommodate everyone, we offer two ways to work with us: Full Representation and Consultations. Below, we explain what each option involves and how you can choose the approach that best fits your situation.

Full Representation – We Handle Your Application from Start to Finish

With our Full Representation service, your legal team takes full responsibility for managing your entire application from A to Z. You work closely with Cédric Marin and an associate lawyer, and for citizenship by descent files our in-house genealogy research team works alongside them. This is our comprehensive, hands-on service where we handle everything on your behalf. We will:

• Determine and gather required documents: We identify exactly what documents are needed for your case (e.g. police certificates, birth/marriage certificates, letters of support, explanations for any issues) and guide you in obtaining them. For citizenship by descent, our in-house genealogist traces your lineage, and we order the baptismal, census, and civil records that prove it, drafting the request letters to vital statistics offices, churches, and archives on your behalf.
• Complete all forms and paperwork: We help you fill out all the necessary application forms correctly and thoroughly, so nothing is missed. Every detail is double-checked.
• Prepare supporting letters and explanations: If your application needs a letter of explanation or detailed cover letter (for instance, to clarify a complex situation or address a past refusal), we draft those for you in a professional manner.
• Review it the way an officer would: Before anything is filed, a third lawyer on the team reviews the complete application the way an immigration officer would, checking photos, signatures, and supporting documents for anything that could cause a return or a refusal. Cédric Marin then conducts the final review and signs off before the package goes to IRCC.
• Submit the application and communicate with authorities: We submit your application to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) as your authorized representative and cover all mailing costs. We handle all communication with IRCC on your behalf, from sending in the forms to responding to any follow-up requests. And on flat fee files, if IRCC ever returns an application as incomplete, we fix it and resubmit it at no additional legal cost.

In other words, under full representation we manage the file from beginning to end, ensuring all requirements are met and forms are properly filed. Your role is mainly to provide us the information and documents we request; we take care of the rest.

This option gives you peace of mind that an experienced legal team, with three lawyers on every application, is looking after every detail of your case. It also means our flat fee pricing (as listed on our website for various application types) applies – so you know the cost up front for the complete service. Full Representation is ideal if you want maximum support and minimal stress, or if your situation is complex and you don’t want to risk any mistakes in the process.

What About Limited Support or Hourly Reviews?

We used to offer a limited support option, where clients prepared their own application and hired a lawyer for a few hours to review it. We no longer offer hourly file reviews or limited scope retainers. A proper review often requires genealogical research, work with our research team, and follow-up long after the application is mailed, and we have found that we cannot do that well, or take responsibility for it, in an hour or two. Here is why we made that change.

If you have already gathered your documents, we are happy to take on your file as a full representation client, use what you have, and prepare and submit the application for you.

Consultations – On-Demand Expert Advice, When You Need It

A Consultation is the most flexible and minimal-commitment way to work with us. Essentially, you book a consultation session whenever you want help on a specific question or decision in your immigration process. These are typically one-time meetings (for example, a 30-minute or 1-hour video/phone call) where you set the agenda and we provide as much guidance as possible in that time.

During a consultation, you can ask any questions you have, discuss your situation in detail, and even screen-share documents or forms for the lawyer to look at. Some clients come prepared with a list of pressing questions or particular forms they’re worried about. We’ll do our best to address your concerns, clarify requirements, and point you in the right direction. For instance, we might direct you to a specific country document checklist (“Have you checked the police certificate requirements for your country?”) or inform you of a relevant public policy or rule that you should be aware of (“Did you know about the recent change in eligibility for this program?”). For citizenship by descent consultations, we prepare a preliminary family tree from your intake before the call, so the time is spent on your eligibility and evidence rather than gathering basic facts.

Consultations are very focused and time-limited, so we prioritize the topics you bring up. There’s no ongoing file management or follow-up after the call - once the session is done, you’ll have our advice and it’s up to you to carry out the next steps discussed. (Of course, you’re free to book another session in the future if new questions arise. In fact, some clients schedule consultations back-to-back or periodically at different stages of their application for continued guidance, as needed.) Because the time is limited, we won’t typically be able to conduct in-depth research or review every single document in your file during the call. However, we will pack in as much helpful information and advice as possible to make sure you get value from even a short session.

This option is ideal for those who are comfortable preparing their own application and just need targeted advice or a second opinion at certain junctures. It’s also a great way to keep costs down while still benefiting from professional guidance. You only pay for each consultation as you go, with no larger commitment. Many clients use an initial consultation to evaluate their case or get answers to preliminary questions before deciding whether they need more extensive help.

Choosing the Right Option for You

Every client’s situation is different, and there is no one-size-fits-all answer, which is why we offer both options. When deciding which route to take, consider your confidence, budget, and how much time you can dedicate to the process:

• Full Representation may be best if you feel overwhelmed by the complexity of the immigration process or simply want the peace of mind that everything is being handled by an expert team. It’s the optimal choice for busy individuals who can’t afford to spend hours on forms, for citizenship by descent files that need genealogical research, or for anyone with a complicated case that requires careful navigation.
• Consultations work well if you have specific questions or challenges and you’re on a tight budget. Maybe you’re mostly confident in handling the application alone but just need clarification on a few points, or you want an expert’s opinion on your situation before you proceed. A consultation can quickly provide you with direction and reassurance without a big commitment.

Remember, you don’t necessarily have to choose only one approach. Our services are flexible - for example, you might start with a one-hour consultation to get a roadmap for your application, and then decide to do full representation when it’s time to submit, or after realizing how much work is involved. (In fact, we credit our consultation fees toward the full representation service if you choose to hire us for the complete process afterward, so you’re not paying twice for the same guidance.)

Similarly, some clients start on their own with a consultation or two, and then ask us to take over the file with full representation so we can carry it across the finish line. We’re here to work with you in whatever way makes you most comfortable and sets you up for success.

Book a call with Marin Immigration Law. Whether you need end-to-end representation or just a bit of guidance on your application, our team offers flexible support to get you results. You work with immigration lawyers at every step: Cédric Marin, the associate lawyer on your file, and a third lawyer who reviews everything before it is filed, backed by an in-house genealogy research team for citizenship by descent. No chatbots. No one-size-fits-all solutions. Just personalized advice, thorough preparation, and strategic guidance to make sure your application is done right the first time. Let’s talk about how to move your case forward, successfully.