Lawyer Wanted

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StellaRay

New member
Apr 8, 2007
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I've posted so many other times asking for help and gotten great responses so I figured I would try again :)

I wondering if anyone knows of a lawyer in Santiago to help me do my paperwork in order to get my residency. Here is the catch (and the reason I didn't just use the info I got from my site search): I needed my cedula...last week, really lol (I'm trying for a job). So all I want is to find a lawyer that is connected to help me get my paperwork through ASAP ASAP, in a couple months if that would even be possible. Unfortunately though, since I'm living in the DR and I don't exactly have the best-paying job, I don't really have the RD$55,000 quote that a different lawyer gave me. I've already gone by Migraci?n and I've gotten together all my copies, translations, etc. etc. All I want is a lawyer that is "pegao" to help shuffle my paperwork along as quickly as possible, and I will pay them a smaller fee...but the fee would essentially be just for making a couple phone calls, so it doesn't seem like such a bad deal to me. Does anyone know of any lawyers that might be interested in this? Or have any other advice? Let me know please!
 
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Chip

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Jul 25, 2007
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Santiago
In spite of what people may tell you, no lawyer needs any connections to make your paperwork go through quickly. If your paperword is in order anybody that can speak enough Spanish can ask how to expedite (ie a bribe) the process. I base this on the fact that I went with a friend mine of to immigration in SD and he did just that, in a matter of minutes.

The most important things you will need are a birth certificate and guarantor letter. the birth certificate needs to be certified by the DR consulate in your home country(any of them). These items MUST be turned in and if any lawyer tells you different, you won't get a real cedula but an imitation that isn't worth the paper it is printed on. BTW, don't try complaining or asking for your money back, after all it won't be the lawyer who goes to jail for falsifying documents.

Not trying to scare you but you need to know the facts.
 
cobraboy

cobraboy

Pro-Bono Demolition Hobbyist
Jul 24, 2004
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chip said:
in spite of what people may tell you, no lawyer needs any connections to make your paperwork go through quickly. If your paperword is in order anybody that can speak enough spanish can ask how to expedite (ie a bribe) the process. I base this on the fact that i went with a friend mine of to immigration in sd and he did just that, in a matter of minutes.

The most important things you will need are a birth certificate and guarantor letter. The birth certificate needs to be certified by the dr consulate in your home country(any of them). These items must be turned in and if any lawyer tells you different, you won't get a real cedula but an imitation that isn't worth the paper it is printed on. Btw, don't try complaining or asking for your money back, after all it won't be the lawyer who goes to jail for falsifying documents.

Not trying to scare you but you need to know the facts.
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qft.......
 
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StellaRay

New member
Apr 8, 2007
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Thanks for the recommendations. I'm supposed to meet with a lawyer this week and then I try to give Dolly a call.

Chip, I had actually talked to you about this a few months ago and you had told me that they do not require the BC to certified by the consulate, that it can be done here. I had mine translated and certified/notarized by the Procudar?a here. That seems like a tremendous pain in the ass to send it back to the States when I've been living here for awhile. I just assumed that was for people applying for residency before moving here, I'll give them a call this afternoon and see what they say...

As for the lawyer...I would prefer not to use one of course, but I've heard horror stories about papers getting lost and the process getting help up for months. Since I needed to have my cedula already, I don't want to take that risk. I want a lawyer who knows the right people to call to speed things along--by "right people" I mean the people who actually have the power to move things along. I don't want to waste money on someone low on the ladder who doesn't even have the authority to get anything done. Plus, there is corruption but not everyone can be bought and I don't want to risk offending someone. Also I can't take time off of work to make a ton of trips to the Capital so I'd also like to use a lawyer for their messenger service!
 
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Chip

Platinum
Jul 25, 2007
16,772
429
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Santiago
StellaRay said:
Thanks for the recommendations. I'm supposed to meet with a lawyer this week and then I try to give Dolly a call.

Chip, I had actually talked to you about this a few months ago and you had told me that they do not require the BC to certified by the consulate, that it can be done here. I had mine translated and certified/notarized by the Procudar?a here. That seems like a tremendous pain in the ass to send it back to the States when I've been living here for awhile. I just assumed that was for people applying for residency before moving here, I'll give them a call this afternoon and see what they say...

As for the lawyer...I would prefer not to use one of course, but I've heard horror stories about papers getting lost and the process getting help up for months. Since I needed to have my cedula already, I don't want to take that risk. I want a lawyer who knows the right people to call to speed things along--by "right people" I mean the people who actually have the power to move things along. I don't want to waste money on someone low on the ladder who doesn't even have the authority to get anything done. Plus, there is corruption but not everyone can be bought and I don't want to risk offending someone. Also I can't take time off of work to make a ton of trips to the Capital so I'd also like to use a lawyer for their messenger service!
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Stella,

I know I told you this (and many others) as this is what I was told by the local office here in Santiago. However, in typical Dominican fashion, even though they explained to me that the Immigration office will take the certified translated birth certificate done here in the DR, they failed to inform me that the Procudaria will not certify them.

However, in spite of this it does appear that you were able to get the Procuraderia to certify your birth certificate so I see no reason why you shouldn't be able to submit it along with the other documents. Feel free to pm me so I can send you my telephone numbers if you want to discuss.

chip
 
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StellaRay

New member
Apr 8, 2007
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Well, I thought it was legalized because it had two stamps but I double-checked and both stamps were just from the Judicial Interpreter, lol. We'll check with the Procuradur?a tomorrow and see what happens, I suppose.

I have a couple more questions, I'm going to send you a PM, Chip.

Looking over everything, I think I will just try to do it without a lawyer and hope it goes quickly.
 
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