Like the rest of the world, our firm is adapting to new ways of doing business during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are committed to providing quality legal services in a manner that is safe for our clients, professional partners, and members of our firm. The following are some measures we have implemented to ensure safety, continuity, and accessibility.
Meetings in Our Office
EFFECTIVE 3/24/2020, our office is closed to visitors. We will resume normal business hours as soon as we are able. We will make limited exceptions to this policy when circumstances justify. If you require an in-person meeting or simply have something to drop off or pick up, please contact us to make arrangements.
Access to our physical office space will remain uncertain for the foreseeable future and is subject to governmental action and our judgment regarding safety. If you think you need to need to visit our office, please contact us before doing so. We can discuss alternatives to an in-person meeting and, if necessary, schedule the best time for you to visit. When our office is open, we are exercising best practices to minimize the chances for transmission of the virus. This includes screening all staff and visitors for possible symptoms, encouraging good hand hygiene, and vigilantly cleaning and disinfecting offices and common areas.
Alternatives to In-Person Meetings
We have always used technology extensively in our practice. This technical expertise is especially important now and allows us to deliver most services without the need for an office visit.
Whether we are in the office or working remotely, our phone system will remain operational and you will be able to reach members of our team by phone as you normally would during regular business hours. Of course, we can also be reached by email.
We can “meet” remotely via telephone or video conference and can even review documents and other materials in real time via our web-conferencing technology.
We will continue to receive and send mail via the U.S. Postal Service. We are happy to accommodate any special requests you have regarding our handling of mail packages.
Estate planning documents are traditionally signed during in-person meetings with members of our firm and/or other professionals to ensure that technical execution requirements are satisfied (including witnessing and notarization). We have developed and are continually improving creative strategies to permit proper execution of these documents with limited physical interaction with others. UPDATE: Remote execution of estate planning documents is now permitted – see REMOTE EXECUTION OF ESTATE PLANNING DOCUMENTS NOW PERMITTED.
Of course, none of the foregoing measures guarantees protection from the virus. We encourage you to exercise good judgment in your dealings with us and in your everyday life to stay healthy.
If you have any questions or would like to explore the best method to work with us, please reach out by phone or email. We look forward to continuing to work with you.
Resources
The following sites offer additional information about COVID-19: