Immigration practice
Solo immigration practice — without drowning in admin.
8 min read · 2025-11-12
Running immigration law solo means you are the lawyer, intake coordinator, and billing department. The firms that thrive automate the repeatable parts so they can focus on strategy and client relationships.
Start with intake that qualifies before you pick up the phone
Solo immigration lawyers lose hours on consultations that were never viable. A public inquiry link on your website, Google profile, and email signature captures case type, current status, and language preference before you schedule time.
Move qualified leads through a simple pipeline: New → Consultation → Qualified → Retained. When someone retains, send engagement intake by email and convert to client + matter in one step. The intake answers copy to the client record — no retyping.
Matter templates are your paralegal until you hire one
Every practice area has a repeatable document list. Family-based petitions need birth certificates, marriage certificates, and financial evidence. Employment cases need job offers, credentials, and employer letters.
Open matters from templates that spawn tasks, filing deadlines, and document checklists automatically. As clients upload files through the portal, mark checklist items complete. You always know what is missing before you file.
Flat-fee billing with trust deposits
Immigration clients expect clear pricing. Quote a flat fee at consultation, collect a retainer into trust, and apply it to the invoice when you file or at agreed milestones.
Avoid the end-of-month scramble: log time on complex cases as you work, but default to flat packages for standard petitions. Clients pay online through invoice links — no waiting for cheques.
The client portal replaces the shared inbox
Immigration clients send sensitive documents constantly — passports, tax returns, employment letters. A secure portal lets them upload straight to the matter folder instead of emailing attachments you save manually.
Clients also view case status, read firm messages, and pay invoices in the portal. That cuts the "any update on my case?" calls that eat your afternoons.
Software that matches solo economics
Enterprise legal platforms charge per user and sell intake as an add-on. LawNest includes lead pipeline, matter management, billing, and client portal on flat-firm pricing from $69/mo for two users.
You do not need a six-week implementation. Most solo immigration lawyers are live in an afternoon — intake link on the website, first matter opened from a template, first retainer sent for e-sign.