Cuidado con aquellos abogados o consultores que le ofrecen garantias
Be careful of those who offer you a guarantee: "Be careful of those who offer you a guarantee
No honest lawyer makes such claims
On more than a few occasions in my twenty years of practice, prospective clients have declined to use my services because I wouldn't guarantee the outcome of their immigration application.
They claimed that for a few dollars more, they could be guaranteed the desired result by some unnamed immigration official or adviser.
In such circumstances, it's hard to distinguish between bluster and a genuine criminal enterprise.
However, what is clear is that such corruption does exist.
In June, Yves Bourbonnais, a former member of the Immigration and Refugee Board, was sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty to 30 counts of conspiracy and obstructing justice.
He and his accomplices solicited bribes to ensure the success of immigration appeals for cash payments of up to $15,000.
Last week, Michael O- Keefe, a senior official at the U.S. consulate in Toronto was indicted for allegedly accepting bribes in connection with U.S. visa applications. The payoff is reported to have included exotic dancers, trips to Las Vegas, jewelry, etc. He and an alleged beneficiary of this scheme, face up to 15 years in jail.
While crooked immigration officials and advisors may offer so called guarantees, honest immigration lawyers can't.
The Rules of Professional Conduct of Ontario's Law Society of Upper Canada state that a lawyer should be wary of bold and confident assurances to the client, especially when the lawyer�s employment may depend upon advising in a particular way.
A lawyer or consultant who purports to guarantee the successful outcome of an immigration application or hearing may be just as dishonest as an immigration official on the take.
No honest lawyer makes such claims
On more than a few occasions in my twenty years of practice, prospective clients have declined to use my services because I wouldn't guarantee the outcome of their immigration application.
They claimed that for a few dollars more, they could be guaranteed the desired result by some unnamed immigration official or adviser.
In such circumstances, it's hard to distinguish between bluster and a genuine criminal enterprise.
However, what is clear is that such corruption does exist.
In June, Yves Bourbonnais, a former member of the Immigration and Refugee Board, was sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty to 30 counts of conspiracy and obstructing justice.
He and his accomplices solicited bribes to ensure the success of immigration appeals for cash payments of up to $15,000.
Last week, Michael O- Keefe, a senior official at the U.S. consulate in Toronto was indicted for allegedly accepting bribes in connection with U.S. visa applications. The payoff is reported to have included exotic dancers, trips to Las Vegas, jewelry, etc. He and an alleged beneficiary of this scheme, face up to 15 years in jail.
While crooked immigration officials and advisors may offer so called guarantees, honest immigration lawyers can't.
The Rules of Professional Conduct of Ontario's Law Society of Upper Canada state that a lawyer should be wary of bold and confident assurances to the client, especially when the lawyer�s employment may depend upon advising in a particular way.
A lawyer or consultant who purports to guarantee the successful outcome of an immigration application or hearing may be just as dishonest as an immigration official on the take.
posted by Tina Kyrtsos and Mario Ferrer at 7:17 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home