With the end of the covid-19 pandemic still nowhere near, almost all industries are forced to modify their business practices.
The same goes for the legal industry. For individuals and businesses that have pending legal issues or cases that require prompt attention, consistent and safe communication with their attorney is vital.
The standard communication between attorneys and clients is face-to-face meetings. However, to help stop Covid-19 from spreading further, lawyers and law firms are now carrying out alternative forms of communication with their clients.
Lawyer-Client Communication Tools in The Time of Covid-19
To provide legal assistance while ensuring that precautions are in place, lawyers are now using the following communication tools:
Phones
Some legal offices, including those that offer judicial arbitration and mediation services, have stayed open so the staff and lawyers can take calls in the office as per usual. But those who closed their offices reroute phone calls to employees and lawyers who are working from their homes.
Video Conferencing
Communications via phones come with limitations. This is why many attorneys also use video conferencing tools for communicating with their clients. These applications are very easy to use and can be conducted through smartphones, tablets, PCs, or laptops.
They’re particularly useful in communications involving several participants or scenarios where screen-sharing is needed.
File-Sharing and Email Apps
With secure file-sharing and email apps, you won’t need to go to your lawyer’s office to hand off crucial documents. Scanned or photographed legal documents are easily downloadable and can be shared between you and your lawyer through these apps.
If In-Person Communication is Necessary
When in-person meetings are necessary, all parties involved are reminded to take proper precautions to mitigate infection risks. These include:
- Wearing a proper face mask. Check the Centers for Disease Control guidelines on which masks are appropriate to wear. Wearing a mask protects you and the people around you. It’s also a good idea to wear a face shield in crowded places as added protection.
- Keeping your distance. Social distancing is also a safe way to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Make sure to stay six feet away (about 2 arms’ length) from others. Also, skip the handshakes.
- Checking if surfaces are clean. Various medical experts and the CDC have recommended foolproof ways of reducing the further spread of covid-19 through proper disinfection practices. If you are meeting in your lawyer’s office, you should definitely call ahead and ask how they sanitize their office. As an added precaution, refrain from touching surfaces as much as you can. Wash your hands properly, change your clothes, and take a shower once you get home.
The health concerns brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic have forced everyone to make the necessary changes in how we do business and interact with each other. It’s understandable for individuals looking for legal assistance to be nervous about face-to-face communications.
But by following safety precautions and using alternative communication systems, you can still get all the legal help you need even in the midst of this pandemic.
