If you do not have an immigration attorney yet
I provide psychosocial (mental health) evaluations for asylum, VAWA, T visa, U visa, and hardship waiver cases, conducted remotely. If you are going through one of these cases without an attorney, this page explains why an attorney matters and where to look for one. People filing a VAWA self-petition can work with me directly. To start, check case fit or book a free 15-minute fit call.
Why an attorney matters in these cases
Immigration cases are built from forms, deadlines, and evidence. An attorney decides what a case needs, what goes into the record, and when. That includes whether a mental health evaluation should be part of the record at all.
My evaluations are designed to help attorneys present a fuller, more contextually accurate understanding of the person inside the case. When an attorney is involved, counsel reviews a draft of the report for factual, jurisdictional, and privilege-related corrections. Clinical opinions are not altered on request.
What I do not do
- I do not give legal advice.
- I do not assess whether a case qualifies or how it may be decided.
- No referral fees are paid or received, in either direction.
Places to find an immigration attorney
EOIR List of Pro Bono Legal Service Providers
The immigration court system publishes this list for people in immigration court proceedings. According to the Executive Office for Immigration Review, it contains nonprofit organizations and attorneys who have committed to providing at least 50 hours per year of pro bono legal services before the immigration court location where they appear on the list. It is published quarterly.
ImmigrationLawHelp.org
Built by the Immigration Advocates Network, this directory lists free or low-cost nonprofit immigration legal services providers. It can be searched by state and county, by zip code, or by detention facility, and it is available in several languages.
AILA's Immigration Lawyer Search
The American Immigration Lawyers Association runs a search for immigration lawyers. It can be filtered by type of case, including asylum and waivers, and by the languages a lawyer speaks.
State and local legal aid
Local legal aid organizations, law school immigration clinics, and programs that serve survivors of domestic violence or trafficking are other places to ask.
These are public directories. Listing them here is not a recommendation of any particular attorney or organization.
If you are filing a VAWA self-petition
People filing a VAWA self-petition can work with me directly. The evaluation documents coercive control, battery or extreme cruelty, emotional and mental health harm, family context, and functioning.
Asylum, U and T visas, hardship waivers
These evaluations are prepared for the legal record of a case. Each page explains what the evaluation covers and how to start.
The first step
Check case fit
Use the contact form to share the case type, any deadline or hearing date, the venue if there is one, and interpreter needs.
Or book the fit call
The fit call is a free 15-minute call to discuss case type, jurisdiction, deadline, and whether an evaluation is appropriate before any documents are exchanged.
Keep private material back
Please do not send declarations, medical records, protected health information, or privileged strategy until secure intake is confirmed.
Questions from people without an attorney
Can I get an evaluation without an attorney?
Most of my evaluations are arranged with an attorney. People filing a VAWA self-petition can work with me directly. For other case types, the places to look for an attorney are listed on this page.
Where can I find a free or low-cost immigration attorney?
The EOIR List of Pro Bono Legal Service Providers lists nonprofit organizations and attorneys who have committed to providing pro bono legal services before specific immigration courts. ImmigrationLawHelp.org lists free or low-cost nonprofit immigration legal services providers and can be searched by zip code. Local legal aid organizations and law school clinics are other places to ask.
Can you tell me whether I qualify?
No. I do not give legal advice or assess cases. An attorney or a nonprofit legal services provider can answer that question.
Can you refer me to an attorney?
The directories on this page are the places to start. No referral fees are paid or received, in either direction. Questions about next steps can be raised at the fit call.
Is the fit call free?
Yes. The fit call is a free 15-minute call to discuss case type, jurisdiction, deadline, and whether an evaluation is appropriate before any documents are exchanged.
What does an evaluation cost?
Typical fees range from $900 to $1,800, depending on the case type. Fees are confirmed in writing after case type, deadline, scope, jurisdiction, interpreter needs, and testimony needs are reviewed.
Ready to take the first step?
Please do not send confidential case materials through the first inquiry.