COVID-19 Information And Firm Procedures

On Friday, April 3, 2020, the “safer-at-home” order went into effect to limit the spread of Coronavirus/COVID-19. Our law firm’s highest priority during this time of uncertainty is to ensure the health and safety of our clients, staff, and business associates. As we are considered an essential business, our office has developed several ways to continue to provide services to our clients, and we appreciate all who have been patient as we make our transition into new routines.

In-Office Meetings:

The option to physically come to our office is still available on a case by case basis. If you come to the office for an appointment, you will notice that we have taken measures to sanitize the conference rooms and door handles before and after each appointment. We are complying with the no-touch rule and ask that you bring your own beverages to the appointments. We also ask that if you use a pen from our office, you bring it home with you.

Should you have documents for a staff member’s review, we ask that you fax, email, or upload the documents to a flash drive prior to the appointment and send it to us, if possible. If this is not an option, we have a mail slot on the bottom of our door that you can insert your documents through. Our doors will stay locked throughout the day and will be unlocked for individuals with appointments scheduled in advance. This allows us to sanitize the office in advance while continuing to work productively in our normal course of business.

Additionally, you will notice that we have a much lighter staff than usual, as most of our staff members are working from alternative locations. We ask that if you are feeling under the weather at any point, come into close contact with anyone exhibiting symptoms of illness, or have travelled within 14 days of the appointment, you reschedule the appointment or change your appointment from an in-office appointment to a phone or Zoom meeting (multiple lines available for multiple callers).

Virtual Meetings:

We now offer more options to meet with our attorneys and paralegals, should you not feel comfortable coming into the office, or if meeting in person is not a necessity. Clients and prospective clients may proceed with their meetings via phone or GoToMeeting. Our office now offers Zoom meetings allowing staff and clients to meet virtually via video conference (options include multiple individuals and screen-shares for visual guides).

We ask that you send us documents via fax or email in advance so staff can review the information before your appointment. If this is not an option, you may physically drop off the documents through our office’s mail slot before the appointment.

Please note, it is important to download and test the relevant software or system for compatibility prior to your appointment.

Document Signings:

For clients executing documents, we have a “drive-through” service for in-office appointments, which will allow us to maintain social distancing. You can park your car in front of our building, and a staff member, in gloves and practicing proper sanitary precautions, will hand the necessary documents to you.

Documents may be reviewed with the attorney or paralegal over the phone, or from a safe distance from the vehicle, if any documents require explanation or confirmation of accuracy and intent. The witness(es) will view the signing through your vehicle’s window, from a safe distance, so that the documents can be executed in a legal and valid manner.

Berg Bryant employees recently qualified under the recently passed Florida online notary statute to act as online notaries. We now offer our clients notary services using conferencing software to notarize and witness documents. This will require a device (computer, tablet, or smartphone) with webcam and microphone accessibility and a valid photo identification.

Software/Technology:

Due to many of our meetings transitioning to virtual appointments, we have created a guide to help you learn more about the software and technology (GoToMeeting/Zoom) we are using in the office to communicate with our clients.

Click here for our software and technology guide.

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(904) 398-6100