Privacy Policy
Robert Sheldon Law Office
Effective date: August 11, 2026
Robert Sheldon Law Office (“we,” “us,” or “our”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting the personal information you share with us. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, how long we keep it, and the choices you have.
By using our website at rslawpractice.com (formerly vidaenamerica.com) or communicating with us, you agree to the practices described below.
Summary of the August 11, 2026 update: We added a section explaining that we collect USCIS receipt numbers when you ask us to check the status of a pending case, that USCIS considers a receipt number Personally Identifiable Information (PII), and how we use, store, and protect it. We also confirmed the record retention periods in “How long we keep your information.”
Information we collect
We may collect the following information when you contact us, request a consultation, or use our services:
- Contact details such as your name, mailing address, email address, and phone number.
- Information about your legal matter or immigration case, which may include your immigration history, family relationships, employment history, and country of origin.
- Financial information you give us in connection with fees, payment arrangements, or applications that require proof of income or support.
- Health or medical information when it is relevant to your case, for example in asylum, waiver, or humanitarian applications.
- Information you submit through forms on our website.
- Your USCIS receipt number for a pending case, when you ask us to check the status of that case.
- Basic technical information collected automatically when you visit our website, such as browser type and pages viewed.
We do not collect precise geolocation data.
How we use your information
- To respond to your questions and provide legal services.
- To schedule and confirm appointments.
- To send you service-related messages, including appointment reminders and case updates.
- To check the status of your case with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services using your receipt number, so we can tell you when your case changes.
- To meet our legal and professional obligations.
USCIS receipt numbers
If you ask us to check on a pending immigration case, we collect the USCIS receipt number for that case. USCIS considers a receipt number to be Personally Identifiable Information (PII), and we treat it with the same care as other sensitive client information.
Why we collect it and how we use it. We use the receipt number only to look up the current status of your case, and any change in that status, through the official U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services case status service, and to report that status back to you. We do not use receipt numbers for marketing or advertising, we do not sell them, and we do not disclose them to anyone other than USCIS and the service providers described in “How we share information,” who act only on our instructions.
How we store and protect it. Receipt numbers are stored in the law firm’s secure, password-protected case management software, are transmitted only over encrypted connections, and are accessible only to the staff members who need them to work on your matter. We do not place a receipt number in a public page, in a website address, or in an unencrypted message. We keep a receipt number only for as long as we need it to service your case, following the periods described in “How long we keep your information,” and then it is deleted.
You are not required to give us a receipt number. If you prefer not to provide it, we will not be able to check your case status for you.
SMS / text messaging and consent
When you provide your mobile number and opt in to receive text messages, we may send you appointment reminders, case updates, and other service-related messages. Standard message and data rates may apply, and message frequency may vary.
No mobile information will be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. Information sharing with subcontractors that support our services (for example, a messaging platform provider) is permitted solely to deliver the messaging service. Text messaging originator opt-in data and consent will not be shared with any third parties for any other purpose.
You may opt out of text messages at any time by replying STOP. For help, reply HELP or contact us at 305-529-8880.
How we share information
We do not sell your personal information. We do not share it for profit or in exchange for any other monetary or valuable consideration.
We share information only in these situations:
- With service providers who help us run our practice, such as our case management software provider, our text messaging platform provider, and our website host. They act only on our instructions.
- With government agencies, courts, and consulates when it is necessary to file, support, or advance your case.
- When the law requires it, or to establish or protect our legal rights.
All service providers are bound by contract to protect your information, to use it only for the services they provide to us, and to follow the commitments in this Privacy Policy.
Third parties are prohibited from using or disclosing your information for any reason without your active consent. This prohibition also applies to information that has been de-identified, anonymized, or pseudonymized.
Your choices about sharing
Sharing information with us allows us to represent you properly and to keep you informed about your case. You may choose not to give us certain information, but this may limit our ability to advise you or to file some applications for you.
You may withdraw your consent to non-essential communications at any time by contacting our office.
How long we keep your information
We keep client files and related records for at least six years after your matter concludes, or longer when a law, court order, or professional rule requires it.
For inquiries that do not become client matters, we keep the information for 24 months and then delete it.
Dormant information, meaning inquiries or records with no activity for 24 months, is reviewed and deleted unless we are required to keep it.
How to see, correct, or delete your information
You may ask us to review, update, or delete the personal information we hold about you. To make a request, contact us using the details at the end of this page.
We will confirm your request and complete it within 30 days of receiving it.
If we cannot delete some information because a law, court order, or professional rule requires us to keep it, we will tell you what we are keeping and why.
Deletion is permanent. Once information is removed from our active systems and backups, it cannot be recovered.
If you have given us health information, you may ask us to securely dispose of it, send it to another provider, or give you a copy, subject to the retention rules above.
Closing your account
Our website does not create user accounts. If you have an active matter with us and want to end the representation, contact our office and we will explain the process and what happens to your file.
Data security
We take reasonable administrative, technical, and physical measures to protect your personal information, including access controls that limit client information to staff who need it.
No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.
If there is a data breach
If we discover a breach of security that affects your personal information, we will notify you without unreasonable delay and within the time required by Florida law.
Our notice will tell you what information was involved, what we are doing about it, and what steps you can take to protect yourself, such as changing passwords, placing a fraud alert, or monitoring your accounts. We will give you a contact point where you can ask questions.
If our firm is sold or transferred
If our practice is merged, acquired, or transferred to a new owner, your information may transfer as part of that transaction.
We will notify you before your information becomes subject to a different privacy policy. We will require the new owner either to honor the commitments in this policy or to offer you the choice to have your information deleted instead.
California residents
If you live in California, the California Consumer Privacy Act gives you the right to know what personal information we collect, to ask for a copy of it, to ask us to delete it, and not to be treated differently for using these rights. We do not sell personal information. To use these rights, contact us using the details below.
Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time.
When we make an important change, we will post a plain-language summary of what changed at the top of this page and update the effective date. For important changes we will ask for your active consent. Simply continuing to use the website is not treated as consent to an important change.
Contact us
Robert Sheldon Law Office
3134 Coral Way, Miami, FL 33145
Phone: 305-529-8880
Email: adminworkspace@rslawpractice.com