Elsa Torres Gonzales

I want to ensure that everyone is aware of the awful situation the lawyer Elsa T. Gonzales put me through. My case involved me requesting a change of status from TPS (El Salvador) to Resident (green card) due to marriage. I found her through a CLC referral and got to receive a free consultation. Duri...ng our initial consultation she seemed more than capable and willing to handle my case. After our first meeting which she was an hour late to (should’ve noticed the red flag but ignored it, due to it was free). I went home to locate all the documents she had requested. Unfortunately, I was unable to locate certain documents. The documents would be needed to prove my eligibility despite my parents previous lie on the initial TPS application. Elsa stated it should be fine and we agreed to meet again to sign a contract and begin the process. During our second meeting I explained to her the situation again and the missing documents and she reassured me everything should still be fine and I should still be able to request the change of status. I signed the contract and paid $1,000 upfront as a retainer. A month later I still had not heard anything and emailed her to request a date when the paperwork would be done so I could sign and submit. She told me I would hear back in a week. A week passed and still nothing. At this point, I emailed asking for an exact date. I was given a date by an assistant and then Elsa chooses at this point to tell me that since I don’t have documents to prove my situation I should’ve never received TPS and without TPS I am unable to request a change of status. (Which is what I paid her to do, and signed the contract for) I immediately told her I did not appreciate being led on and lied to and asked her to terminate the contract and refund me the money. She replied stating she did not understand what I was saying and that the paperwork was done. The emails escalated from there. At one point she stated she had put so many hours into it, that I was not due a refund. Her assistant then asked me for my address in Mexico.. (I’m not from Mexico and never have been. My TPS is from El Salvador). All this led to me having an anxiety attack and my husband took over emailing her. When my husband pointed out, how she never kept track of time, the lawyer rebutted with it’s based on reasonable time. My husband asked her to terminate the contract and the lawyer told him that I had never told her to terminate and that all I did was refuse to provide my Mexico address. (Further showing how little time she spent on my case). She offered to mail or have us pick up the termination paperwork. My husband asked her to mail since she’s about a 45 minute drive. That was two weeks ago and the paperwork never arrived. Elsa will scam you. She pretended she cared and wanted to help just long enough to get my money. She lies just to get your money and once she has it, she will not give it back. If she actually spent any time on my case, she would at least know the right country. Do not hire her.