Matthew M. Hanley, Attorney at Law

My Personal Experience With Matthew M. Hanley, Attorney at Law I am sharing my experience with Matthew M. Hanley because I want other families to carefully consider their options before hiring him for an immigration case. I hired him in 2021 to help with the immigration process for my wife and two sons in Ethiopia. I trusted him with one of the most important matters in my life because my goal was to reunite my family as soon as possible. Unfortunately, my experience was extremely disappointing. During the process, I moved four times. When I contacted USCIS myself because I was concerned about the years of waiting, a representative told me that my address had not been updated in their records. I was shocked and confused because I had trusted my attorney to help manage my case. I also became a U.S. citizen in 2024 and had questions about how my changed circumstances were being handled. Another major problem was communication. I repeatedly called his office to discuss my case, but I was often told he was unavailable. Sometimes I was promised a callback or asked to make another appointment, but I continued having difficulty reaching him and getting the follow-up I expected. I felt frustrated because I was trying to get answers about my wife and children while our family remained separated. I understand that USCIS controls its own processing times, and no attorney can guarantee how quickly a case will be completed. However, I believe clients deserve clear communication, attention to important details, and reliable follow-up. After years of waiting, the difficulty communicating with my attorney and the address issue I discovered through USCIS left me deeply disappointed. I am sharing my personal experience so other families considering an I-130 petition or family-based immigration case can ask the right questions before hiring an attorney. Please keep your own records, request copies of all documents submitted to USCIS, confirm that your address is up to date, and make sure you understand how your attorney will communicate with you. Your family is too important not to stay informed about your immigration case. I sincerely wish my experience had been different.

I had a very disappointing experience trying to work with this office. It appears they take on too many clients, because once payment is made, your case seems to be pushed aside with little to no follow-up. Communication was extremely poor—calls were rarely answered—and there was no clear attention given to my file. It felt like the focus was on bringing in new clients rather than properly handling existing cases. Because of the lack of communication and delays, I would not recommend anyone start their case here, as it ends up being a waste of time.