Law in the Time of Coronavirus
We find ourselves in an unprecedented situation. With schools and businesses closed, travel and events cancelled, grocery shelves stripped bare, and all of us hunkered down at home in the name of social distancing, nearly ever facet of our lives is affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The legal community, too, is adjusting to meet the moment and to strike the proper balance of protecting public health and meeting client needs.
So, what does that look like for you? If you have a hearing coming up in your case, depending which Court the case is in, the hearing may be postponed or modified from a live, in-person hearing to remote appearance by telephone. I’ve provided links below to the most current, as of this date, guidance from the 4 major Metroplex county probate Courts, and am in touch with each existing client as to effect on your specific case.
If you are already a Court-appointed guardian, please see the links below regarding how this impacts your duties.
For the foreseeable future, I’ll be working primarily from home. To the greatest possible extent, I’m doing meetings by phone only, rather than in person. If our meeting needs to include multiple people, I have a conference call line we can use to accommodate all participants and also to allow screen sharing. Video conferencing via Skype, FaceTime, and other means is available as well.
If you’ve been meaning to get around to doing your estate plan “one of these days” and now find yourself with some extra time, I’m happy to work with you remotely to discuss and draft your documents. For the actual will signing, we can discuss options for in-office signings or remote signings from home, weighing the pros and cons for your particular circumstance.
These are exceptional times that bring some new challenges for all of us, but my goal remains the same: to provide each client with clear, compassionate guidance to resolve your legal issue.
Estate planning and probate and guardianship practices are essentially flip sides of the same coin: the upstream and downstream ways of protecting and providing for the people you love. I know that during this trying time, you’re more focused than ever on taking care of the people you love and I’m proud and honored to help you do so.
Updates on Court procedures:
Judicial Branch Certification Commission update on requirements for guardians to visit wards