MyPhillyLawyer Announcement About COVID-19

By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on March 17th, 2020

A message to our valued clients, business associates, supporters and friends:

At MyPhillyLawyer, the health, safety and overall well being of our clients, business associates and the community as a whole is of utmost importance. Given the increasing concern surrounding the recent pandemic of COVID-19, otherwise known as the novel Coronavirus, these are uncertain times. At MyPhillyLawyer, we wanted to take a moment to provide you with an update as to what we are doing to help stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus and how we’re continuing to serve our clients. We understand our obligation to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and want to assure you that we will honor all health advisories and mandates while maintaining normal business operations.

Our physical offices in Philadelphia will be closed to the public, we have arranged for attorneys and support staff to have remote access. Because our staff will be working from home, we will remain open during business hours. While we unfortunately cannot meet in person during the crisis, we will still be able to serve you through email, telephone conversations, and regular mail. By implementing a system such as this, we will be able to provide the exceptional level of representation that you have grown accustomed to while helping to keep the community safe from the spread of COVID-19. We will even be able to initiate new client relationships through video conferences, phone calls and the like.

The dedicated staff at MyPhillyLawyer remains committed to serving clients and furthering their interests at every opportunity. Phone calls to our office will be accessed remotely by attorneys and support staff. Missed calls will be returned as soon as possible. Documents will be handled electronically. We will continue to check our mail daily, and reach out to you if the need arises. For those who need to drop a document off at our offices, please reach out in advance and we will arrange a time for you to come by. In short, although we will not be in the office, we remain dedicated to fulfilling your needs during this unprecedented time.

If you have plans to come into our office in the coming weeks or months, we will reach out to you shortly to discuss setting up a personal meeting or video conference.

Proactive Steps We’ve Taken to Protect Our Clients and Staff

• Clients who do visit our office will notice that we are maintaining social distancing. This means that we should not be shaking hands, hugging, or touching anyone. We realize this may feel unusual and impersonal, however, it is through these actions that COVID-19 spreads. By eliminating this type of contact, we all can reduce the chances of inadvertently spreading the virus.
• We keep hand sanitizer readily available throughout our lobby and in each attorney’s office, and urge everyone – employees and visitors – to use it frequently. In addition, our vigilant cleaning crew is cleaning high-touch areas multiple times a day, and all meeting areas will be cleaned after each meeting.
• We ask all clients, business associates and employees to not come into the office if they are feeling sick or have had close contact with someone who is sick. Again, this is done out of concern for those in the community most at risk.
• We understand that you may not feel comfortable coming into the office, so we can arrange for video conferences rather than in-person meetings for those who are interested. We use both FaceTime or Zoom, whichever is more convenient for you. Please call our offices at 215-227-2727 to arrange a virtual meeting.

What You Can Do to Protect Yourself and Those Important to You

Stopping or slowing the spread of COVID-19 is a community effort. We encourage all our clients and business associates to take a few simple, everyday actions to help prevent further spread of COVID-19 and all respiratory viruses, including:

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth as much as possible.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water, for at least 20 seconds. Using hand sanitizer is also acceptable, however, it is less effective than soap and water.
• Avoid close contact with those who you know are sick, those who exhibit symptoms, or those who have been around others who are sick.
• If you are feeling sick, stay at home.
• If you have a fever, shortness of breath and are coughing, consider seeking immediate medical attention.
• Refrain from gathering in groups of more than ten.
• When interacting with others, keep at least a six-foot distance.
• Cover your mouth with the inside of your elbow when coughing or sneezing. If using a tissue, dispose of the tissue immediately and either wash your hands with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Disinfect frequently touched objects, such as door knobs and handles, with a disinfectant spray or wipes.
• Exercise special caution when visiting or interacting with older friends and family members, as well as those with pre-existing health conditions, as these people are at the highest risk.

We understand that these are unprecedented and difficult times, and we truly appreciate your understanding and cooperation as well make these adjustments. This is a fluid situation that can change very rapidly. Along those lines, we will continue to monitor all updates by the Center for Disease Control and other government organizations.

At MyPhillyLawyer, we understand that your legal needs continue even during this crisis, and we are committed to providing you with the highest level of representation. We are taking these steps to protect you, our valued staff, and the community as a whole. Thank you for your continued cooperation and support. We look forward to continuing to serve you once we overcome this crisis together. Please, take care of yourself as well as those around you during this challenging time.

For more information regarding the Coronavirus, below are a few additional resources:

CDC – Coronavirus Overview

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

Harvard Medical School

https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/coronavirus-resource-center

World Health Organization

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/events-as-they-happen