May 15

Criminal Defense Attorney — Shapiro Freitas

A criminal charge carries consequences that extend far beyond the courtroom. Jail time, fines, and probation are the most visible penalties, but the permanent record left by a conviction often does the most lasting damage — affecting employment, housing, professional licensing, immigration status, and firearm rights for years after the case is closed. At Shapiro Freitas, we represent clients facing criminal charges with one goal in mind: protecting both the immediate outcome and the long-term record.

Why Early Representation Makes a Difference
The most consequential decisions in a criminal case often happen before the first court appearance. Statements made to investigating officers, social media posts that should have been removed, voluntary interviews with detectives, and evidence that was preserved or lost during the early days — all of these shape what the case looks like months later. Bringing in defense counsel quickly preserves options that disappear over time.

Criminal Cases We Defend
Our criminal defense practice represents clients facing a broad range of allegations, including:

  • DUI and DWI offenses
  • Drug possession, distribution, and trafficking
  • Assault charges, including domestic violence allegations
  • Theft, shoplifting, and other property crimes
  • Burglary, robbery, and breaking and entering
  • Weapons and firearms charges
  • Sex offenses
  • Probation and parole violations
  • Juvenile and youthful offender proceedings
  • White collar offenses and fraud allegations
  • Federal criminal matters
  • Misdemeanor and felony appeals

Whatever the charge, the defense begins in the same place: a careful review of the police report, the underlying evidence, and every detail of how the arrest was conducted.

How Shapiro Freitas Approaches Criminal Defense
We challenge unlawful stops and searches under both federal and state constitutional standards, scrutinize identification procedures, examine forensic evidence and laboratory practices, and develop trial strategy based on the actual weaknesses in the prosecution’s case. Where appropriate, we pursue diversion programs, deferred adjudication, and alternative sentencing arrangements designed to minimize long-term consequences.

Contact Shapiro Freitas Today
If you have been arrested or charged with a criminal offense, contact Shapiro Freitas immediately for a confidential consultation. The earlier we are involved, the more options we have to protect your rights, your record, and your future.

May 15

Tax Attorney — Shapiro Freitas

Few legal problems generate more anxiety than a letter from the IRS or a state tax authority. Whether the notice involves an audit, a proposed adjustment, a collection action, or a final notice of intent to levy, the situation rarely improves on its own. At Shapiro Freitas, we represent individuals and businesses in federal and state tax matters, providing the careful analysis and assertive advocacy that tax disputes require.

Understanding What the Notice Actually Means
IRS notices look more alarming than they often are. A CP2000 is a proposed adjustment — the agency believes information it received from a third party does not match what was reported, and a timely response can change or eliminate the proposed assessment. A Letter 1058 is a final notice of intent to levy, which triggers a 30-day window to request a Collection Due Process hearing and put collection action on hold. A Statutory Notice of Deficiency provides 90 days to petition the U.S. Tax Court without paying the disputed amount first.

Each notice has specific deadlines and specific options. The earlier the response is prepared, the more options remain available.

Tax Matters We Handle
Our tax practice supports individuals and businesses with a comprehensive range of federal and state issues, including:

  • IRS audits, examinations, and administrative appeals
  • State tax audits and disputes
  • Tax debt resolution and negotiation
  • Offers in compromise
  • Installment agreements
  • Penalty abatement and interest reduction
  • Federal and state tax lien and levy releases
  • Wage garnishment relief
  • Innocent spouse relief claims
  • Currently Not Collectible status applications
  • Payroll tax disputes and trust fund recovery penalty defense
  • Tax fraud defense and criminal tax matters
  • Business tax planning and entity structuring
  • Sales and use tax compliance
  • Estate and gift tax planning

Whatever the matter, our role is to communicate directly with tax authorities on the client’s behalf and pursue the resolution that fits the underlying facts.

How Shapiro Freitas Approaches Tax Matters
Represented taxpayers receive different treatment than unrepresented ones. Documents are reviewed more carefully. Arguments are considered on the merits. Settlements reflect actual case strength rather than the agency’s first offer. The work of representing taxpayers correctly is what produces favorable outcomes, and that work begins with a thorough analysis of the underlying issue.

Contact Shapiro Freitas Today
If you have received a notice from the IRS or a state tax authority — or have a tax issue that has gone unaddressed — contact Shapiro Freitas today to schedule a confidential consultation and find out what resolution options are available in your situation.

May 15

Immigration Attorney — Shapiro Freitas

Behind every immigration case is a family. A spouse waiting for a visa. A parent working toward citizenship. A child whose status determines whether a household stays together. The stakes are high, and the rules — federal, technical, and constantly shifting — leave little room for error. At Shapiro Freitas, we represent individuals and families in matters before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the immigration courts, and the federal courts.

Why Immigration Counsel Matters
Immigration law is one of the most procedurally demanding areas of federal practice. Processing times change. Agency priorities shift with each administration. A single answer on a form, or a single deadline missed, can result in years of delay or denial. The right strategy for one applicant may be entirely wrong for another, and small differences in circumstances can lead to different recommended paths.

Immigration Matters We Handle
Our immigration practice addresses a wide range of family, humanitarian, and employment-based matters, including:

  • Family-based green card petitions for spouses, parents, children, and siblings
  • Fiancé(e) visas (K-1) and spousal visas (CR-1, IR-1)
  • Adjustment of status applications for those already in the United States
  • Naturalization and U.S. citizenship applications (Form N-400)
  • Removal and deportation defense before the immigration courts
  • Asylum, withholding of removal, and Convention Against Torture claims
  • Temporary Protected Status (TPS) registrations and renewals
  • DACA renewals and related youth-status matters
  • U visas for victims of qualifying crimes
  • T visas for survivors of human trafficking
  • VAWA self-petitions for survivors of domestic abuse
  • Waivers of inadmissibility (Forms I-601, I-601A, I-212)
  • Employment-based visas, including H-1B, L-1, O-1, and EB green cards
  • Consular processing and interview preparation

Every case begins with a careful review of the client’s complete immigration history, because what appears to be a simple application can have consequences that affect status for years.

How Shapiro Freitas Approaches Immigration Cases
We monitor policy developments closely so the strategy we recommend reflects how the system operates today rather than how it worked when the case file was opened. When an application is denied or returned for more evidence, we respond quickly — because in immigration practice, delay is rarely on the applicant’s side.

Contact Shapiro Freitas Today
If you need immigration assistance, contact Shapiro Freitas for a confidential consultation. We will review your situation, explain the available paths forward, and help you make a clear-eyed decision about what comes next.

May 15

Adoption Attorney — Shapiro Freitas

Few legal events bring more joy to a family than adoption — and few involve more paperwork. From background checks and home studies to consent documents, court filings, and the termination of another party’s parental rights, adoption is a procedural undertaking that demands attention to detail at every step. At Shapiro Freitas, we guide families through each stage of the process so they can focus on welcoming the child rather than navigating the rules.

Different Adoptions, Different Requirements
The procedural path varies significantly depending on the type of adoption. A stepparent adoption typically requires consent or termination of the non-custodial parent’s rights. Agency adoptions involve additional layers of agency policy on top of state law. Private placements require careful management of birth-parent consent and revocation periods. International adoptions add federal immigration considerations. Each route has its own forms, its own timelines, and its own pitfalls.

Adoption Matters We Handle
Our adoption practice supports families with a broad range of proceedings, including:

  • Stepparent adoptions
  • Grandparent and other kinship adoptions
  • Private domestic adoptions
  • Agency placements
  • Foster-to-adopt cases
  • Adult adoptions
  • International adoptions and U.S. re-adoptions
  • Termination of parental rights proceedings
  • Contested adoption matters
  • Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC) compliance
  • Post-adoption contact agreements
  • Finalization hearings
  • Name changes and birth certificate amendments

Some adoptions move quickly through uncontested proceedings. Others involve complications — an absent biological parent, an interstate move, an objection by an interested party — that require careful legal handling.

How Shapiro Freitas Approaches Adoption
Our role is to ensure that nothing in the legal process derails what should be a celebration. We prepare petitions, coordinate with agencies and courts, manage consent deadlines, and stand with families at the finalization hearing.

Contact Shapiro Freitas Today
If you are considering adoption or have already begun the process and need experienced counsel, contact Shapiro Freitas today to schedule a confidential consultation and take the next step toward growing your family.

May 15

Motorcycle Accident Attorney — Shapiro Freitas

When a motorcycle is struck by a passenger vehicle, the rider almost always bears the worst of it. Without the protection a car provides, even moderate-speed collisions can produce fractures, traumatic brain injuries, severe road rash, and life-altering harm. Recovery from a serious motorcycle crash often takes months or years — and the legal claim that follows is rarely straightforward. At Shapiro Freitas, we represent injured riders and the families of those killed in motorcycle collisions, working to secure the compensation they need to move forward.

The Challenges Riders Face After a Crash
Motorcycle cases come with obstacles that ordinary auto claims do not. Insurance adjusters frequently assume — and try to convince juries — that the rider must have been speeding, weaving through traffic, or otherwise responsible for the collision. Even when the evidence clearly points to the other driver, that underlying suspicion has to be overcome through careful case preparation, credible witnesses, and documented medical care.

Types of Motorcycle Accident Cases We Handle
We represent clients in motorcycle crashes involving:

  • Left-turn collisions, where a driver turned directly into the rider’s path
  • Rear-end impacts at intersections, stop signs, and traffic signals
  • Lane-change crashes and blind-spot incidents
  • Drivers who failed to yield or ran a red light
  • Distracted, impaired, or fatigued drivers
  • Hit-and-run collisions
  • Single-vehicle accidents caused by road defects, debris, or unsafe conditions
  • Catastrophic injuries, including brain and spinal cord trauma
  • Wrongful death claims arising from fatal motorcycle crashes
  • Uninsured and underinsured motorist matters

Each case involves a different set of facts, and the strongest motorcycle claims are built on a thorough early investigation of the scene, the vehicles, and the parties involved.

How Shapiro Freitas Approaches Motorcycle Cases
Our team works with accident reconstruction experts when the facts require it, gathers physical evidence and witness statements before they disappear, and develops the medical record so that the full extent of the injuries is documented and defensible. We handle motorcycle cases on a contingency basis — meaning no attorney’s fees unless we recover for you.

Contact Shapiro Freitas Today
If you or a family member has been injured in a motorcycle accident, contact Shapiro Freitas to schedule a confidential consultation. Early involvement allows us to preserve evidence, manage communications with the insurance carrier, and protect your rights from the start.