Immigration & Injury Attorneys Winter 2018

WINTER 2018

THE MONTHLY ADVOCATE

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CELEBRATING VICTORIES IN AND OUT OF THE COURTROOM

Last month, we were very honored to be included on the list of the Law Firm 500’s Fastest Growing Law Firms. To see our names at No. 19 — wow. We are grateful and feel so happy to receive this recognition, but we know that we did not get here by ourselves. You are

years of waiting, they were reunited. She became a green-card holder and permanent resident. That was an amazing story to be part of.

In another case, the client wasn’t looking for an attorney — she was helping us with construction on our home when we learned about her case. After she’d finished up her work for the day, she asked, “What do you do?” When she learned that we were immigration and personal injury attorneys, she trusted us and shared her story. She had a personal injury case that wasn’t moving forward at all, and she’d been put in collections. She felt she had no options. After hearing her situation, Jorge reassured her. “We can figure out what needs to get done,” he told her. We took on her case, and within months, we got it settled. She was amazed — nobody had done anything for her, and within months, she had the resolution she’d given up on. It’s the difference we can make when we care as attorneys. That’s what we love about what we do — our victories are your victories. As the holidays approach, many of us will spend time with family. Jorge and I come from big families, and since they both live in the area, we end up having two different Christmas dinners. We go to Jorge’s family’s house, have dinner, and then we end up at my family’s. It’s a little crazy, but that’s how we celebrate. I’m grateful that we get to share this time with each other.

part of this victory. Our team, our clients, and everyone who has supported us are part of this. I’m so grateful

to all of you who’ve trusted us to help you with your immigration and personal injury matters. As it says on the Law 500 website, “Happy clients are ultimately what makes a law firm grow fast.” Any talk of gratitude would not be complete without mentioning Jorge. I am so grateful to have him as my partner. People have said we are crazy for working together, but it works so well. We’re an amazing team, and it makes so much sense for us because we’re passionate about the same things. The opportunity to help people is what motivates both of us. When you have a passion to truly help people, it just works out. Our firm is growing, and that means we get to serve even more people in our community. With the addition of our second location in Gainesville, we’re able to provide our clients with a legal team who truly cares. It makes me happy that we can expand and help even more people. When I think about what’s led us here, I think about our clients, people like a husband whose wife was in another country and couldn’t come into the U.S. They’d been separated for years. Their son hadn’t seen his mother in so long. We took their case and fought. We helped them complete waivers, and after

I hope you have a happy holiday, and thank you for letting us share our good news with you.

–Keren Barrios

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Looking for gift ideas that don’t break the bank but still show the special people in your life how much you care? Do-it-yourself (DIY) gifts are the way to go. Here are a few ideas to put together on a chilly night. Pull out your crafting supplies, turn on some holiday tunes, and get creative. BEST DIY GIFT IDEAS FOR EVERYONE ON YOUR LIST

BEST DIY GIFT TO MAKE WITH THE LITTLE ONES: Handprint-Covered Apron

Every day, we meet with families from our community who come in to complete immigration paperwork. It’s our joy to reunite families; after all, we understand how powerful this is. And we are saddened when families are separated because they waited to file paperwork until their status expired. One way to avoid this is to begin your immigration paperwork now. If your current status is set to expire in the coming months or year, it’s not too early to begin gathering what you’ll need for an application. Processing times are taking longer than usual, and the government is finding reasons to deny applications without giving people a chance to provide additional information or fix errors. With the shift of immigration policies toward zero tolerance, organizing and double-checking that you’ve completed and signed everything on an immigration application is extra important. If you forget to sign something or send the wrong fee with your application, the government will reject it immediately. In addition to your application, the USCIS will most likely ask for supporting documents, something that proves information about you, like a marriage license to prove that a marriage is lawful. Because the USCIS also requires that supporting documents be in English, if you have a foreign birth certificate or other document in a foreign language, you may need to have these documents translated. English translations should include the date, signature, and address of the translator. This month, we’d like to invite you to meet with our attorneys at Immigration & Injury Law to complete your immigration paperwork. We encourage you to call us now and begin the process. Don’t wait for someone to separate you or your family members. Call Immigration & Injury Attorneys today and find out how Keren and Jorge can help you with your immigration matters. We are here to serve you and our community. This is where you matter. Resolve Immigration Issues Now WHY YOU DON’T WANT TO WAIT TO FILE PAPERWORK

Aunties, uncles, and godparents will love a gift that incorporates their favorite little ones, and it’s a great way to get the kids in on the project. Choose some unadorned aprons from your local craft or home goods store and some acrylic paint in a variety of colors. Then get crafty! The kids can use their handprints as a starting point and add other decorations as they like. You can also find some fun ideas on the blog Little Page Turner, like painting a butterfly from your kids’ stamped footprints. Have fun with it!

BEST DIY GIFT FOR YOUR BESTIE: Personalized Mug

You only need a mug and an oven-safe or porcelain marker to create this personalized gift. Use a mug you already own, or pick one up from the dollar store or thrift store, and get expressive! You could write a sweet or funny message (“but first, coffee” or “two shots, hold the chatter”) or list their favorite beverage (“coffee, no sugar” or “green tea”). Write something that makes them think of you, or create a simple drawing. Enjoy the artistic freedom as much as they’ll enjoy your thoughtful gift.

BEST DIY GIFT FOR SOMEONE SPECIAL: Memory Map

Utilize a map, a pair of scissors, some glue, and your memories of meaningful places to create this sentimental gift. Choose map locations that are meaningful to you and your special person — where you met, where you celebrated special moments, where you first lived — and cut them out in geometric or heart shapes. Then, glue the cutouts to a piece of matboard. You can add kind words at each point, or let the places explain themselves. Place in a frame and gift to your loved one.

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A TEAM OF ATTORNEYS WHO CARE

As attorney Keren mentioned on the cover, what makes Immigration & Injury Attorneys unique is the team of attorneys who truly care about their clients. Keren and Jorge combine their compassion, knowledge, and skills to provide legal services to their community. They work tirelessly to represent the voiceless and resolve their legal matters, all while ensuring that the community’s legal questions regarding immigration and personal injury are being answered. Look on the firm’s Facebook page, and you’ll notice the videos Keren and Jorge post in Spanish each week to answer people’s questions. They understand the challenges many of their clients face — both have personal experience with immigration — and they know that the community needs better representation and access to resources in their language. Although Keren and Jorge may have been surprised to be No. 19 on the Law Firm 500’s list of honorees, anyone who knows them wasn’t. Just read these messages clients have left on our Facebook page talking about their great experiences with Keren and Jorge. “Jorge and Karen are one heck of a team! Jorge worked hard and diligently to get me a decent settlement from my accident earlier this year. I would definitely recommend them and use them again. Thanks again!”

“Great team of attorneys. Clients are their priority.”

–Cesia

“We are very grateful, primarily to God and then to you for your efforts and work. Your work was excellent because we were able to reach our goal, which was for my husband to be reunited with us as soon as possible.”

–Shanika

–Natasha

“Awesome couple of integrity! They are very knowledgeable and always have your best interest at heart.”

Thank you so much to everyone who shared these kind words. We are so glad to know our team made a difference in your case. You can read more of our clients’ experiences on our Facebook page, as well as watch Keren and Jorge’s videos, at facebook.com/immigrationinjurylaw.

–Joni

WINTER TRIVIA

WHAT PIECE OF LAND DID THE UNITED STATES ACQUIRE ON THE DEC. 20, 1803?

WHICH COUNTRY WAS THE FIRST TO ADOPT THE TRADITION OF CHRISTMAS TREES?

WHICH POPULAR CHRISTMAS FOOD WAS AN AMERICAN INVENTION?

WHICH WAS THE LAST U.S. STATE TO DECLARE CHRISTMAS AN OFFICIAL HOLIDAY?

a. b. c. d.

Louisiana

a. b. c. d.

Istanbul

a. b. c. d.

Eggnog Chai tea Baileys

a. b. c. d.

Idaho

Florida Alaska

Spain

Georgia

Germany

Oklahoma

Manhattan

Brazil

Strawberry milk

Hawaii

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PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

678.934.4958 ImmigrationInjuryLaw.com INSIDE THIS ISSUE

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Celebrating Victories

The Best DIY Gifts

Welcoming Families to Our Firm

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The Strength of a Team

Trivia

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The Cook’s Workout

A QUICK WORKOUT

PREPARE YOURSELF FOR THE CHRISTMAS FEAST

When you’re in the kitchen cooking your signature dishes for Christmas dinner, you might find yourself with short periods of nothing to do. While you wait, why not fit in a quick workout? Exercising for 30 minutes will help ease any anxieties you may have — perhaps about getting those side dishes just right, or about your in-laws, who will soon be seated at your table. To start off, you’ll need to warm up. Keeping the oven in sight and the timer well within earshot, take a few minutes to loosen up your muscles. Jog in place, do some jumping jacks for a minute, or jump in place for 45 seconds. Warmups often consist of these basic exercises, but one set of each won’t be enough. To make sure your body is completely warmed up, repeat each set at least three times. After you’ve warmed up, it’s time to start the workout. Squat jumps, ski jumps, pushups, plank crawls, and holding a squat stance are easy exercises you can do in your kitchen, dining room, or living room while your feast cooks. Do each exercise as many times as you can in a minute, and just like you did in the warmup, repeat each set three times.

up and down in small pulses. Then move your arms out in front of you and return to the “T” shape. Raise your arms up over your head and clap, and then return once more to the “T” formation. Rotate your arms in backward circles, switch to forward arm circles, and finish up by holding your squat for an additional 30 seconds. This 30-minute exercise routine is great for before, during, and after your Chirstmas meal prep. You don’t have to wait around all day for things to finish up — occupy your downtime with short exercises to keep your heart pumping.

While in your squat stance, there are several things you can do. For 30-second intervals, put your arms out in a “T” formation and move them

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