IMPORTANT MESSAGE FOR CLIENTS AND ASSOCIATES OF HOOL LAW LTD
The current global health crisis regarding COVID-19 is unprecedented. It presents a massive challenge to businesses and to our entire community.
We at Hool Law will endeavour to continue to deliver the best service possible to our clients.
In doing so we must comply with the latest guidance, advice and directives from the Government.
We must:
- protect our staff; and
- safeguard our clients – particularly those who are most vulnerable.
We believe it is important to be open with our clients about what this will mean. Whilst we will continue to deliver the best quality of service that we can, the way we do that will impact upon our usual arrangements in relation to our services.
From Tuesday 24th March 2020, we will be implementing the following changes in the way we deal with our clients, other firms of solicitors, Courts, Government and other statutory agencies and businesses:
- Our offices are now closed to the public, effective immediately until further notice.
- As many of our staff as possible will now work at home.
- Calls to the main switchboard number 028 90 328424 will normally be rerouted to our solicitors located remotely. However, please try to contact your solicitor or their assistants directly by mobile or e mail for maximum efficiency.
- Most of our solicitors will work remotely from their own homes. As far as possible they will be doing the same work at home as they normally do in the office.
- Communication by email is unaffected, and is actively encouraged as our primary form of communication.
- Clients with ongoing matters will have been provided with the direct email address for the solicitor handling their case and should continue to communicate with that solicitor using his or her email address.
- Clients and others with more general or new enquiries should use our generic email address info@hool-law.com or hool@hool-law.com which is being monitored.
- Please be mindful that our staff, when working from home, are also dealing with their own personal circumstances. Please be understanding of that fact.
- There will be no face to face meetings with clients save as may be arranged by clients with the solicitor dealing with their business. This may be inconvenient, but by the use of Facetime, Skype and phone, we will endeavour to keep in regular contact and to conduct meetings “remotely”.
- We will send you documents that are required to be considered by post or email.
- When one of our solicitors or assistants telephones you it is likely to be from the solicitor’s own home land line, or from a mobile number. We will identify ourselves when we call you.
- Our banking arrangements remain unchanged. Please do not send us funds electronically unless we expressly request you to do so and then only after we have verified our bank details with you in accordance with procedures previously agreed with you.
- Depending on the particular area of practice, it may prove significantly more challenging for clients’ cases to proceed normally, for example in relation to execution of documents. We will continue to engage with colleagues in other law firms, institutions, banks and mortgage lenders, Land Registry and the Law Society of Northern Ireland in order to progress your business. At this time you will appreciate there will be limits to what we can do
We wish to reassure our clients we will do our very best for you. We ask for your understanding and co-operation. Let’s keep in contact.
Thank you for your understanding, patience and support. Keep well.
Jonathan
