Employment Law Guidance for Miami Business Owners

Can I get a free consultation with an employment lawyer in Miami? Yes. You can ask KEW Legal for a first consultation on an employment question, and this page explains what that meeting covers and how to prepare for it.

Yes, the first meeting is free: what the consultation is

KEW Legal offers a free first consultation, which is confidential and carries no obligation to continue (consulta inicial gratuita, confidencial y sin compromiso). Kristina E. Wilson is the lawyer responsible for this page. KEW Legal has offices in Coral Gables and Sunny Isles Beach. Our team, including office staff, handles scheduling and intake.

The first meeting is a conversation about the facts of your situation. It is not a promise that the firm will represent you. You can use it to decide your next step. Going further is your choice after the meeting.

Why this question comes up in Miami workplaces

Employer questions usually start with one decision that must be made soon. That might be a termination someone wants to reconsider, a wage or overtime question, a harassment or discrimination complaint, or a resignation that may not have been voluntary.

Employers in Miami who have employment law questions can schedule a free initial consultation with KEW Legal. The consultation is confidential and carries no obligation to continue. Often they did not make the original decision, but now they must answer for it. Some want to understand their options before they act. Others need to know what to avoid while the issue is still open.

Miami-Dade workplaces often include staff who work in more than one language. A policy, a warning letter, or a text message can be read in different ways by different people. Clear, dated records make the facts easier to explain later.

What to gather before a first meeting

Bring the documents that show what was agreed, what was done, and when. Those records shape the meeting more than anything else you bring.

Start with these items:

• The offer letter or employment agreement
• The employee handbook and any policy the issue involves
• Pay records and time records for the period in question
• Any termination, warning, or discipline notice
• Written complaints, plus emails or texts about the decision

Next, write a short timeline. List each key date, who was involved, and what each person said or did. Write it while memories are fresh. Mark what you saw directly and what you heard from someone else.

Keep the originals as they are. Do not edit, delete, or re-save messages or records, even if they look messy. Changes can make the issue harder to explain later.

Finally, write down the questions you want answered. A short list keeps the meeting focused on the decision in front of you.

What an employment lawyer can cover in a first meeting

A first meeting can identify the issue, explain the general legal picture, and outline possible next steps. It is a working session, not a verdict.

The lawyer will usually sort the facts into categories. A wage question may fall under minimum wage or overtime rules. A termination may raise discrimination or retaliation questions. A handbook dispute may turn on what the policy actually says. Naming the issue early shows which records matter most.

The meeting can also cover timing. Some claims have short deadlines, and those deadlines can run from different events. Where a deadline may matter, the lawyer can point to it so you can act in time. The meeting can also cover what to avoid while the issue is open, such as retaliatory decisions or discussing the dispute with the employee without advice.

No lawyer can predict how a specific matter will end. The result depends on the documents, the witnesses, and the facts as they develop. A first meeting gives you a clearer starting point, not a forecast.

Florida and federal rules employers often need to understand

Florida and federal law both set rules for pay, discrimination, and records. Several can apply to the same workplace at the same time.

Under the Florida Civil Rights Act, an employer is a person with 15 or more employees for each working day in each of 20 or more calendar weeks in the current or preceding calendar year (Fla. Stat. § 760.02). Smaller employers may fall outside that definition, so headcount matters.

For covered employers, it is unlawful to discharge someone or discriminate in pay or terms of work because of protected traits such as race, sex, religion, or pregnancy. It is also unlawful for an employer, an employment agency, a joint labor-management committee, or a labor organization to retaliate against someone who opposes a practice which is an unlawful employment practice under this section, or who takes part in a complaint process (Fla. Stat. § 760.10).

A complaint with the Florida Commission on Human Relations must be filed within 365 days of the alleged violation. It may instead be filed with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or with any unit of government of the state which is a fair-employment-practice agency under 29 C.F.R. ss. 1601.70-1601.80 (Fla. Stat. § 760.11).

On wages, Florida’s minimum wage reaches $15.00 per hour on September 30, 2026. From September 30, 2027, it adjusts each year for inflation using the CPI-W, taking effect the following January 1 (Fla. Const. art. X, § 24).

Federal wage claims have their own deadlines. Employers facing a claim for unpaid minimum wages or overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act should know that such an action generally must start within two years. A willful violation can allow three years (29 U.S.C. § 255). Employers must also keep records of wages, hours, and employment practices (29 U.S.C. § 211).

Pregnancy-related rules can also apply.

These are general rules. How they apply to your facts is the question a first meeting can help frame.

How a first meeting differs from ongoing representation

The first consultation is separate from any later work. Taking on a matter is a different step, and it is your choice after the meeting.

KEW Legal serves business owners and investors as outside general counsel. Employment matters for employers are one part of that broader work. You can read more on the employment law attorney for employers page, and see how the firm approaches the wider role on its outside general counsel for businesses page.

Some workplace issues overlap with other business questions. A resignation may involve an owner or partner, which can raise partnership dispute questions. A departure may also affect who runs the company and how ownership passes. In those cases, the first meeting can show which practice area fits, so you don’t spend time on the wrong question.

Talk with KEW Legal about your employment question

If a termination decision, a wage question, or a complaint needs an answer before your next step, a first meeting can help you see your options clearly.

Common questions