Actually, we have moved to Lisbon already over four month ago, and we did have a lawyer today. She was very organised and all documents prepared. That’s why it only took 30 minutes overall.
One thing she said is that she always insists on having all the documents with her for any SEF question that might arise. According to her, if any documents are missing, SEF will give you “make-up” time, but then your file goes in a stack of files to be re-processed at a later date. When that date arises is anyone’s guess. That is why many files often take much longer to process.
Again, these are her words, and so take it for what it is worth to you. I will update the forum once I receive my cards, hopefully in not-so-distant future. 