Understand Your Retainer Before You Sign for Immigration Court Asylum

If you face removal proceedings in immigration court, two terms matter most: the paid consultation and the retainer agreement. A paid consultation is a fee-based meeting to review your case. A retainer agreement is the written contract that sets the scope of work and the fees before a firm takes your case. This page explains both, the costs beyond attorney fees, and the steps from first contact to court filing. AG Immigration Law P.A. focuses on removal defense. Adriana Gomez is the responsible lawyer for this page.

What a paid consultation and a retainer agreement mean in removal defense

A paid consultation is a meeting you pay for to review your removal case. A retainer agreement is the contract you sign if you decide to hire the firm.

Removal proceedings are cases in immigration court where the government seeks to remove a noncitizen from the United States. You can be represented before an immigration judge by a lawyer or other representative you choose, in accordance with 8 CFR part 1292. The government does not pay for that representation, as 8 C.F.R. § 1003.16 provides.

Consultations with this firm are paid meetings. The consultation fee is charged in advance, so you’ll know the cost before the review begins.

The firm’s practice focuses on removal defense. It also handles adjustment of status, family petitions, naturalization, removal of conditions on green cards, waivers, and BIA appeals.

What the paid consultation covers

The paid consultation covers the facts of your case, your notice to appear, and the relief that may fit those facts. It is a working session, not a sales talk.

• Your charging document. The lawyer reviews the notice to appear and your case timeline.
• Defenses and relief. You’ll discuss options such as asylum, withholding of removal, and cancellation of removal, based on your facts.
• Documents and dates. You’ll get a list of records to gather and deadlines to track, including hearing dates.
• Bond and appeals. The review covers whether a bond issue applies. Immigration judge custody decisions may be appealed to the Board of Immigration Appeals under 8 C.F.R. § 1003.19.

If you plan to seek asylum, know the burden first. The applicant must prove refugee status, and the applicant’s credible testimony may be enough without other proof, under 8 C.F.R. § 1208.13.

The consultation gives you information about your options. It does not promise an outcome. Results depend on the facts of each case.

What the retainer agreement includes

A retainer agreement sets which hearings and filings the firm handles, what you pay, and how the work can end. Read it closely before you sign.

• Scope. The agreement names the hearings, filings, and related applications the firm will handle, such as master calendar hearings and individual hearings.
• Fee terms. Attorney fees and the payment schedule appear in writing.
• Entry of appearance. A lawyer becomes the practitioner of record by filing Form EOIR-28. Under 8 C.F.R. § 1003.17, the lawyer is then required to appear, file documents, and accept service for you.
• Limited help. Some lawyers help only with drafting, completing, or filling in blank spaces of a specific motion, brief, form, or other document that a pro se respondent intends to file with the immigration court (8 C.F.R. § 1003.17). That lawyer is not the practitioner of record and does not appear for you.
• Ending the representation. A lawyer stays the practitioner of record unless the immigration judge permits withdrawal or substitution, as the same regulation explains.
• Communication. The agreement should explain how you and the office will stay in touch.

Fees and costs you may owe beyond attorney fees

Attorney fees are only one cost. Government fees are separate, and you’ll need a budget for them.

• Asylum application fee. Under 8 U.S.C. § 1802, an applicant pays a fee when the asylum application is filed. Under 8 U.S.C. § 1802, during fiscal year 2025 the asylum application fee is the greater of $100 or an amount the Secretary of Homeland Security or the Attorney General establishes by rule. Beginning in fiscal year 2026, the amount is adjusted each year for inflation using the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, rounded to the next lowest multiple of $10. The statute says these fees shall not be waived or reduced.
• Appeal fees. A Notice of Appeal must come with the filing fee or a fee waiver request, under 8 C.F.R. § 1003.38.
• Other costs. Translation, document certification, and copying can add cost when a case needs them.

Ask for the written fee terms before you sign. Each cost you may owe should appear there.

How the process works, from first contact to court filing

The process moves in five steps, from first contact to your first filing in court. The pace depends on the court’s docket and the relief you pursue.

1. First contact. You reach the office through the contact form, by phone, or on WhatsApp to request a paid consultation.
2. Gather records. Collect your notice to appear, prior immigration filings, and your hearing schedule before the meeting.
3. Paid consultation. The case facts and options are reviewed.
4. Sign the agreement. If you choose to hire the firm, you review and sign the retainer agreement.
5. File and prepare. The lawyer files Form EOIR-28 and prepares for your next master calendar hearing.

Missed hearings carry serious risk. An immigration judge shall order removal in absentia when the government shows, by clear, unequivocal, and convincing evidence, that you are removable and that written notice of the time and place of proceedings and written notice of the consequences of failure to appear were provided to you or your counsel of record, under 8 C.F.R. § 1003.26. Notice sent to your most recent address on file is treated as sufficient. A person against whom a final order of removal is entered in absentia, after being given oral notice in a language the person understands of the time and place of the proceedings and of the consequences of failing to attend (other than because of exceptional circumstances), shall not be eligible for relief under section 1229b, 1229c, 1255, 1258, or 1259 of this title for a period of 10 years after the date of the entry of the final order of removal (8 U.S.C. § 1229a). Section 1255 covers adjustment of status. The bar applies when the person was given oral notice, in their native language or another language they understand, of the time and place of the proceedings and of the consequences of not attending, and failed to attend for reasons other than exceptional circumstances. Keep your address current and keep every notice.

Why work with AG Immigration Law P.A.

The firm focuses on removal defense and related immigration matters. Each case turns on its own facts, and the firm does not promise or predict a result.

• Responsible lawyer. Adriana Gomez is the responsible lawyer for this page. The firm’s lawyers handle removal matters and the related practice areas listed above.
• Support staff. Assistants and office staff help with scheduling, document collection, and client communication.
• Clear written terms. Scope, fees, and government costs are set out in writing so you can compare them with your budget.
• Public court rulings. Published opinions from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit are available to read, so you can see the federal appellate rulings that apply in Florida.

Common questions about paid consultations and retainers

Next step: contact the office about your removal case

If a notice to appear has you or your family worried, you don’t have to work through immigration court alone. Your next hearing and your options can feel urgent, and a paid consultation is a clear way to get your facts reviewed. You can contact the office by form, phone, or WhatsApp to book your paid consultation.