A family in Hialeah with an immigration hearing notice and a car accident in the same month is dealing with two entirely separate legal systems, on two separate clocks, in a language that is often not their first. That combination is ordinary in South Florida and in southwest Houston, and it explains the shape of a practice like Gallardo Law Firm, which runs immigration alongside personal injury, workers compensation, family, criminal and bankruptcy matters out of offices in Miami, Hialeah and Houston, in Spanish and English.
This guide is less about the firm brochure than about what those practice areas actually involve, what the deadlines are, and what a client should be asking on the first call. The two-state footprint matters more than it looks, because Florida and Texas handle injury claims and workers compensation very differently while immigration law is federal and identical in both.
Offices and why a two-state footprint changes things
The firm lists three locations: Miami and Hialeah in Miami-Dade County, Florida, and an office in Houston, Texas. Both metros have large Spanish-speaking populations and both have their own federal immigration court, which matters because removal proceedings are heard where the case is docketed, not where the client happens to live.
On the immigration side the law is the same in Miami and Houston. Practice culture and docket congestion are not, and neither are the state law questions that sit underneath an immigration problem, such as how a criminal charge is defined or how a family court order is worded. On the injury side the two states are genuinely different legal environments, which is covered below.
Immigration: the work behind the form numbers
Most immigration matters are administrative rather than courtroom work, and they are won or lost on evidence and deadlines rather than argument. The common case types break down like this.
- Family-based petitions using Form I-130, followed either by adjustment of status on Form I-485 inside the United States or by consular processing abroad.
- Employment authorization on Form I-765 and travel permission on Form I-131, which are frequently the client most urgent practical need.
- Naturalization on Form N-400, where the civics and English requirements are the visible part and continuous residence and good moral character are the parts that generate denials.
- Asylum on Form I-589, subject to a filing deadline of one year after arrival with narrow exceptions, which is the single most common way a genuine claim is lost.
- Humanitarian categories including U visa petitions on Form I-918 with a law enforcement certification, and VAWA self-petitions on Form I-360 for abused spouses, children and parents.
- Removal of conditions on residence using Form I-751 for conditional green card holders.
- Waivers, including the provisional unlawful presence waiver on Form I-601A, which allows some applicants to wait in the United States for a decision before departing for a consular interview.
- Defense in removal proceedings before the immigration court, beginning with a master calendar hearing and moving to an individual merits hearing.
Notario fraud and the one form that proves representation
In Miami-Dade and Houston alike, the most damaging thing that happens to immigrants is not a denial. It is paying a notary public, an immigration consultant or a travel agency to prepare filings. In many Latin American countries a notario publico is a trained lawyer; in the United States a notary public witnesses signatures and nothing more. Filings prepared by unqualified preparers routinely contain false claims the client never made, and a fraudulent asylum application or a false claim to citizenship can permanently bar relief that the person was otherwise entitled to.
Only licensed attorneys and representatives accredited by the Department of Justice may represent someone before USCIS or the immigration court. The verification is simple: your representative must file Form G-28 entering their appearance, and you should receive a copy. If nobody is filing a G-28, nobody is representing you, whatever the sign on the door says.
Injury and civil litigation in two different states
Florida and Texas both cap the clock for negligence claims at two years, but almost everything else diverges.
| Issue | Florida | Texas |
|---|---|---|
| Auto insurance model | No-fault, with personal injury protection paying first | Fault based, with liability coverage carried by the at fault driver |
| First medical visit | Initial treatment generally required within 14 days for PIP to apply | No equivalent PIP deadline |
| Stepping outside no-fault | Requires meeting a statutory injury threshold | Not applicable |
| Shared fault | Modified comparative negligence with a 51 percent bar in most negligence cases | Proportionate responsibility with a 51 percent bar |
| Workers compensation | Mandatory for most employers | Optional for private employers, so nonsubscriber employers exist |
| Negligence deadline | Two years for most negligence claims | Two years for personal injury |
The Florida no-fault mechanics catch people out constantly. Personal injury protection pays a limited amount of medical and wage benefits regardless of fault, but the full benefit generally depends on a treating provider determining that an emergency medical condition exists, and on treatment beginning within a short window after the crash. Wait a month to see a doctor and the coverage the client paid for may simply not apply.
Texas has its own trap in the opposite direction. Because private employers may decline to carry workers compensation, an injured worker in Houston has to find out early whether the employer is a subscriber, since the legal route is entirely different if it is not. Texas drivers face a separate set of financial responsibility rules, and anyone unsure where they stand should read direct attorney guidance on the consequences before assuming a minor lapse is harmless. Medical malpractice claims in Florida add another layer, since Chapter 766 requires a presuit investigation and notice period before a lawsuit can be filed at all.
What to bring to a first consultation
Consultations are usually free in injury and immigration intake, and the quality of the meeting depends almost entirely on what you bring.
- Every immigration document you have ever received, including the envelopes, since receipt numbers and hearing notices are on them.
- Passports, prior visas, entry records and any prior filings, even ones prepared by someone else.
- For an injury claim, the crash or incident report, photographs, your insurance declarations page and the names of every provider you have seen.
- For a workers compensation matter, the date you reported the injury and to whom, in writing if possible.
- A written timeline of dates in your own words, prepared before the meeting.
- The names of anyone who has previously helped with paperwork, including consultants and notaries.
- A list of your questions, with fees and timelines at the top.
Working at a firm with this profile
Bilingual capability is the baseline hiring requirement at practices serving Miami-Dade and southwest Houston, not a bonus qualification. Beyond that, the roles that recur are attorneys admitted in Florida or Texas, immigration paralegals who manage form preparation and evidence packages, injury case managers who coordinate treatment and records, intake staff, and billing and trust accounting personnel.
Two credentials are worth knowing about. The Florida Bar operates a Florida Registered Paralegal designation with defined education and experience criteria, and both states offer board certification for attorneys in specific practice areas, which is a meaningful signal because it requires demonstrated experience and an examination rather than self-description. For applicants, immigration paralegal work in particular rewards precision and organization far more than legal theory, since a case is usually strengthened by a complete evidence index rather than by clever argument.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I check that a legal representative is legitimate?
Search the state bar membership records for the attorney name to confirm an active license and check for discipline, ask which office will handle your file, and require that Form G-28 be filed in any immigration matter so representation is on the record. If the person is not an attorney and not a Department of Justice accredited representative at a recognized organization, they cannot represent you regardless of what they charge.
Can one firm handle both my immigration case and my accident claim?
Often yes, and there can be real advantages, because an injury settlement, a criminal charge or a family court order can each affect an immigration case in ways a specialist in only one area may not flag. Ask specifically who handles each matter, since the same lawyer rarely does both, and confirm how information will be shared between the two files inside the firm.
Does a car accident claim affect my immigration status?
Being injured in a crash and bringing a claim does not by itself create immigration consequences, and being undocumented does not prevent you from recovering for injuries caused by someone else. What can matter is a related criminal charge, a false statement made during a claim, or an insurance application containing incorrect information. Raise your status with your lawyer at the outset so the risk is assessed rather than discovered.
What happens at a master calendar hearing?
It is a short scheduling appearance, not a trial. The immigration judge confirms your identity and address, takes pleadings to the allegations in the Notice to Appear, identifies what relief you are seeking, and sets deadlines and a future individual hearing date. Missing it can result in an order of removal entered in your absence, so attendance and an updated address on file with the court are essential.
How much does representation cost?
Immigration work is normally billed as a flat fee per case type, separate from government filing fees, which are set by the agency and change periodically. Injury and workers compensation matters are typically handled on a contingency basis, meaning a percentage of any recovery with no fee if there is none. Ask for a written agreement stating what is included, what is billed separately and how case costs are treated.
What to Do Next
Find every piece of paper you have received from a government agency, put the dates in order, and identify the earliest deadline on any of them. Almost every serious problem in both immigration and injury practice traces back to a date that passed while someone was deciding what to do. Bring that list to a consultation rather than a summary from memory. For related reading on establishing fault in a collision, see Understanding Liability in Sideswipe Accidents, and more general material sits under Legal Advice.
This article is general information about legal services and procedures, not legal or immigration advice, and it is not affiliated with or endorsed by any firm described.
