Could you please share the name of the lawyers you approached. You are quite true that the lawyers can make or kill it. The application process will be at least half the trouble if you have a good lawyer representing you. Also, I have heard the lawyer fee can run up to $10K. Is this true?
Well, speaking about the lawyers fees, the sky is the limit. ;) I know typically a good and expensive lawyer firm can charge around $15K for the family of three (well, this includes the official payments for the process, but doesn't include the medical exam and a few more minor fees). You can always negotiate though.
I've been working with David Fullmer from Ivener & Fullmer, LLP. The web site is http://usworkvisa.com/. You can contact me personally and I can provide a reference. They are based in Los Angeles.
+1 to the comment about good lawyers making or breaking; my wife went with Paul Parsons located in Austin, TX - http://www.immigrate-usa.com/ - paid less than $10k (though it was not an EC1/2 case), and got a green card in less than 2 years time, despite moving to another state during this process and having to transfer the case. We consider ourselves lucky to have worked with him and his team.
My congrats. Case transfer between states often leads to unexpected delays. Actually, it's one of the most popular reasons to get your case delayed for years - it's being simply lost.
