It’s always wise to consider the value — or return on investment – in hiring a lawyer to file a mandamus lawsuit for a delayed Employee Authorization Document (EAD) or for any type of lawsuit.
For most delayed EAD applications, the typical experienced attorney will charge between $5,000 or more to prepare and file an EAD-based mandamus lawsuit. The out of pocket expenses in such suits are usually less than $500. While never guaranteed, most of these cases are successful and result in an EAD being approved and issued within weeks. For some applicants, this quick resolution can shave months off their wait time – a time savings that can allow the person to keep a job they would otherwise lose or take advantage of a great job offer that could disappear. This recouped time has obvious financial advantages. If the applicant earns more per month than the cost of filing one of these cases, then simple arithmetic shows just how valuable these cases can be.
However, there are more important long term benefits to consider as well. Losing a great job or being forced to pass-up on another potential job could change the earnings trajectory of an entire career. Advantages and disadvantages tend to compound over time. Getting or keeping the right opportunity today can pay dividends for decades.
Having to file a lawsuit to get the government to simply do its job is an injustice. You’ve likely already invested a lot of time and money into building your career. But this injustice doesn’t have to set your career off course. Mandamus lawsuits can protect you and your career from major disruption and, therefore, can provide a great return on investment.