Jazzy B,
Do you mean to say an Immigration Lawyer? Because an Immigration Officer working for the Canadian government will be prohibited by law due to the principle of Conflict of Interest to represent a prospective immigrant. So, I believe you meant an Immigration Lawyer.
Now to your question. Some people have done their application by themselves and were successful; others have not been so successful because of several reasons that range from missing important deadline dates to not submitting the necessary and required documentation. Whereas, if you hire a lawyer, your chances of missing deadline dates and not submitting the required documentation are very slim; or in fact, will never occur, except if you fail to submit something to your lawyer on time, and even if you think that some documentation might take a while for you to access, you can always ask your lawyer to file an extension request for you. I must say that the retainer's fee of $2950 that you mentioned is steep.
Have you considered talking with Attorney David Cohen of Canadavisa.com? In fact, the best way that you can initiate communication with Attorney Cohen is by taking the Skills Assessment Test from his website via the "Do You Qualify" tab, or you can copy and paste this link on to an open browser for easy access:
https://www.canadavisa.com/assess/canada-immigration-assessment-form.htm
After you complete the form and submit it, Attorney Cohen will get back in touch with you via the email address that you would have provided when you completed the form. You can then respond to his email with questions and concerns that both you and your wife have including his retainer's fee and other fees from the Government of Canada. Make sure that before you reply to him, you have put together questions from both you and your wife in an itemized or organized format.
Remember that if you decide to retain Attorney Cohen, you will have an Attorney-Client relationship and privilege in handlilng all of your immigration needs.
These days, since we all have to joggle between busy schedules and life experiences, there is no harm in retaining a lawyer if you can afford to instead of being penny wise but pound foolish.
You do not need to pay Attorney Cohen anything until you make the decision to retain him. But bear in mind, that if you choose to consult with him on the phone, you would have to pay him; email is better, just follow the steps I mentioned above.
When I was looking for a lawyer, I came across some rude and snotty paralegals from different law firms in Canada, until I discovered Attorney Cohen at Canadavisa.com. His paralegals are the most courteous that I know so far. They respond promptly to emails as well, so no worries there.
Unfortunately, due to Attorney-Client privilege, I cannot divulge to you my retainer fee when I retained him roughly about 2 years ago. I currently reside in the United States. Coming from England, maybe yours might be faster - that is a question that you must ask Attorney Cohen.
Do not get disheartened about the time frame because I know of other people whose applications were processed faster. It is always better to start at some point in time, get on with your normal life, and before you knew it - you've been approved! I started thinking about moving to Canada since 2002, and I procastinated until 2005 to get the process started. I only wish that I had not been so affected by the Hamlet syndrome.
I never went for an interview as it was waived, I did my medical in January this year, I have just sent in my police clearance, my proof of funds from my bank, and my final payment to the Canadian Consulate General for my Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF). I am now at the stage where I am waiting for the Immigration Officer handling my case to request for my passport to input the visa stamp; so I am hoping and praying at this moment for that to be soon.
Anway, Good Luck, and there are so many people here at the Forum that would be willing to help you out with tips if you decide not to retain a lawyer.
Hope this helped.
Regards,
Libra.
