I am an Italian working in London. Early in July I married my American girlfriend in the US. A month earlier I had applied for a UK residence permit for myself. After our wedding my wife was quickly granted an EEA Family Permit by the British Consulate once they saw a) our passports, b) our marriage certificate, c) proof of my employment, and d) proof of my previous application for a UK residence permit.

The only problem is that the Family Permit on her passport will expire in mid-January and we are not sure what to do next. Back in July an immigration solicitor we hired told us he would apply for a residence permit for my wife and myself (given that my status had changed since my previous application). I sent him all the relevant documents early in August, however to my knowledge he has not yet done so (he says he was very busy). Apparently he was unaware of the fact that EEA Family Permits now expire six months after they are issued, rather than a year. When I told him, however, he said I shouldn't worry since the expiry of the permit is just a formality and my wife has the right to stay with me under EU law anyway. My worry, however, is that British immigration officials might take a different view. Would they let her back in if she left the UK and came back after her Family Permit had expired? The expiration date is clearly marked in the passport. If not, is there a way to renew her EEA Family Permit for another six months? I think it's very unlikely at this point that if she applied for a residence permit now it would be granted by the time her Family Permit expired.

How long does it normally take for someone in her condition to be granted a residence permit? I know it's difficult to quote exact figures, but is this a matter of months or even years? I applied for my residence permit at the beginning of June but so far I've heard nothing from the IND, not even a note saying they were processing my application.
Thank you very much.

Marco