This is an absolutely crazy time for everyone. Businesses are closed. People are being laid off. We are cooped up inside of our houses. No one is immune from this. And that includes people who are also trying to weather difficult times related to their families. Whether it be a divorce, trying to co-parent with an ex, or figuring out how you are going to pay your support obligation, many people are dealing both with the stressors of a family law issue AND of this coronavirus pandemic. It can seem very bleak.
But help is out there. As family law attorneys, our job is to help people with their legal issues regarding their family, coronavirus pandemic or not. And we are on the case. Your problems haven't stopped during this tumultuous time, and neither will our efforts to help you solve them. I have been talking to colleagues constantly during this shutdown period, and we are all trying to get the same message out: we are here for you. We are available. And we want to help.
It is true that the pandemic and resultant shutdown has severely hampered legal practice. Under normal circumstances, practicing law is a very hands-on profession. We invite our clients to our offices. We accompany them to mediations and court hearings. We network with other attorneys and with judges to keep ourselves connected. In a lot of ways, we are very old-school, in the sense that our profession is still very personal and people-oriented.
Now, we can't meet with clients in-person any more. Courts are closed to all but emergencies. Mediations are being held remotely, if at all. Networking is limited to getting together on Zoom calls and messaging on listservs. Our day-to-day practice of law doesn't look much like what we are used to.
Thankfully, though, there is still so much we can do to help you. With modern technology, we can overcome these challenges and give ourselves the tools to be able to be there for you during this time. My practice, for example, is composed solely of web-based and cloud-based programs and systems, so anywhere I have an internet connection, I am ready to work. My office phone rings through to my cell phone. Faxes are received via my email, where I receive them immediately at home at the push of a button. Everything I need to do can be done with my phone, my laptop, and my printer. Being there to help you requires the will and the way, and this pandemic can't touch either of those.
So remember, you are not alone. Your local family law and divorce attorneys are open for business and ready to help. Give me a call. Shoot me an email. Fill out the contact request on my website. Your family law issues won't go away during this difficult time - and neither will I.
