Is your immigration law attorney a specialist in a particular type of immigration law? If so, make sure they specialize in at least some of the aspects of your case. If you're in need of asylum, you don't want someone who specializes in obtaining work visas.

Any truly professional immigration law specialist should have no problem providing you with client references. If the individual you're contacting or meeting with seems reluctant or hostile to the idea, they're not someone you want to deal with, so keep looking.

With immigration law specialists, as with everything else, you get what you pay for. To put it bluntly, the best practitioners will tend to charge higher rates. It's always a good idea to get all the lawyer you can afford, but be sure to check their references.