Who Is Cristy Garcia? Miami Paralegal, Certified Mediator & Real Estate Professional at BG Mediations

If you’ve been handed the name “Cristy Garcia” by an attorney or spotted BG Mediations in a search for local mediation services, you’re probably trying to answer one simple question: is she actually qualified for my situation?

Short answer: yes, if your matter involves a landlord-tenant dispute, small claims disagreement, minor civil conflict, or a real-estate-adjacent issue in South Florida. Here’s why that answer holds.

What Cristy Garcia Does and What Makes Her Unusual

Cristy Garcia paralegal Miami refers to Cristy Garcia, a South Florida legal professional who holds three distinct credentials simultaneously: she is a working paralegal, a Florida Supreme Court Certified County Court Mediator, and a licensed Florida real estate agent. She practices under BG Mediations, a Coral Gables-based Alternative Dispute Resolution firm she co-runs with attorney Bruce Bounds.

That triple-role combination is rarer than it sounds. Most mediators come from one lane, either law or real estate or dispute resolution. Cristy operates across all three, which gives parties in property-related disputes someone who understands both the legal mechanics and the transactional reality of what went wrong.

According to the Florida Office of the State Courts Administrator’s ADR Statistics Report (2023–2024), Florida had 5,674 certified mediators statewide as of February 2024, and the state’s court-connected mediation success rate reached approximately 75% by 2023, among the highest in the country. Cristy’s certifications are issued through the Florida Supreme Court Dispute Resolution Center, the state body that governs all mediator credentialing in Florida.

Her Specific Certification and Why the “County Court” Distinction Matters

Most people assume all mediators handle all dispute types. That’s not how Florida’s system works.

Florida certifies mediators at different jurisdictional tiers. Cristy Garcia holds a County Court Mediator certification, which covers small claims court matters, landlord-tenant disputes, minor contract disagreements, and civil cases under $30,000. Her partner Bruce Bounds holds a Circuit Court Mediator certification, which covers complex civil litigation, family law, probate, and higher-value commercial disputes.

Here’s the thing: knowing this distinction immediately tells you which partner handles your case.

Quick Comparison: County Court vs. Circuit Court Mediator in Florida

If you’re dealing with a security deposit fight, a home-sale disagreement between parties who didn’t use attorneys, or a minor breach-of-contract matter, Cristy’s certification is specifically designed for that.

Or maybe I should say it this way: her certification isn’t a lesser version of Bruce’s. It’s a different tool, built for a different job.

The Paralegal Background: What It Actually Adds

Cristy isn’t just a mediator who used to work in a law office. She’s an active paralegal within the Bounds Law framework, which means she understands how legal documents are drafted, what evidence would matter if a case went to court, and how attorneys on both sides of a dispute are thinking.

This matters in mediation more than most people realize.

A mediator who’s never worked inside a law firm often can’t gauge whether a proposed settlement is realistic given how a judge would rule; they can facilitate conversation, but they can’t anchor the parties to legal reality. Cristy’s paralegal experience provides that grounding. She knows what the paperwork says, she’s seen what opposing counsel does with it, and she can help both parties understand where they actually stand without anyone having to file a motion.

What most guides skip is this: in landlord-tenant and real-estate disputes specifically, paralegal fluency in document review is the difference between a mediation session that resolves in two hours and one that stalls because neither party understands what their lease actually says.

The Real Estate License: Why It Matters for Property Disputes

Cristy Garcia is also a licensed Florida real estate agent. That’s the third credential, and for a specific class of disputes, it’s the most overlooked advantage she brings.

Look, if you’re in a situation where a real estate transaction fell apart, a repair obligation was disputed after closing, or a landlord and tenant are fighting over what the lease actually required, here’s what actually works: mediation with someone who has walked transactions from both sides.

A licensed agent understands market norms, understands what’s standard practice in a Florida closing, and can identify when someone’s grievance is legitimate versus when they’ve misunderstood what they agreed to.

Most mediators don’t have this lens. Cristy does.

BG Mediations: The Firm Context

Cristy operates through BG Mediations (bgmediations.com), based in Coral Gables, Florida, which serves Miami-Dade and Broward County.

The firm’s name reflects its foundation: Bounds Garcia LLC, the legal entity co-founded by attorney Bruce Bounds and Cristy Garcia. Bruce’s background at Bounds Law Offices gives BG Mediations its litigation depth; he understands what happens when mediation fails and a case goes to court, which makes him effective at helping parties see the cost of not settling. Cristy’s operational role covers case intake, document management, and the County Court mediation sessions themselves.

Quick note: BG Mediations handles both court-referred mediation (where a judge sends parties to mediate before trial) and private mediation (where parties choose to resolve a dispute without any court involvement at all). Cristy handles both tracks at the County Court level.

The firm is reachable through bgmediations.com, and their Coral Gables location serves the full South Florida corridor.

What Cristy Garcia Does NOT Handle

Some experts argue that a paralegal-mediator can handle nearly any dispute type, since mediation is about facilitation, not legal advice. That’s valid for very general mediation practice. But if you’re dealing with a Circuit Court-level matter, meaning a divorce, a probate dispute, a high-value commercial contract, or a case involving a restraining order, that’s Bruce Bounds’ jurisdiction, not Cristy’s certification tier.

I’ve seen conflicting descriptions in some directories that list BG Mediations without distinguishing which partner handles which case type. My read is that this creates confusion for potential clients; the firm serves both tiers, but through two different certified professionals.

Cristy’s scope: small claims, landlord-tenant, minor civil, real-estate-adjacent disputes at the County Court level in South Florida.

Voice Search Q&A

What is Cristy Garcia’s role at BG Mediations?

Cristy Garcia is a Florida Supreme Court Certified County Court Mediator, active paralegal, and licensed real estate agent at BG Mediations in Coral Gables. She handles small claims, landlord-tenant, and minor civil disputes.

What’s the difference between Cristy Garcia and Bruce Bounds at BG Mediations?

Cristy holds a County Court Mediator certification covering small claims and landlord-tenant cases. Bruce Bounds holds a Circuit Court certification for complex civil, family law, and high-value disputes. Both are Florida Supreme Court certified.

Should I use BG Mediations for a landlord-tenant dispute in Miami?

Yes, Cristy Garcia’s County Court Mediator certification directly covers landlord-tenant matters in Florida. Her real estate license also gives her practical context most mediators lack for property disputes.

How do I contact Cristy Garcia for mediation in Miami-Dade?

Reach BG Mediations through bgmediations.com. The firm is located in Coral Gables and serves Miami-Dade and Broward County for both court-referred and private mediation.

Why does Cristy Garcia’s paralegal background matter for mediation?

It means she understands legal documents and how attorneys evaluate a case, helping both parties anchor to legal reality rather than just exchanging positions, which typically produces faster, more durable settlements.