Open for Business?

Questions raised by unprecedented times

We find ourselves in unprecedented times. Not just in the legal community, but in essentially all walks of life and business. The COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, leaving few if any sectors of our personal and professional lives unaffected. Staying healthy and doing our part to ensure the health of others remains the paramount concern. But, such an endeavor does not exclude the pursuit of other critical parts of our lives, like maintaining economic stability and seeking the best quality of life for ourselves and our families. In the context of those with pending or prospective family-law-related legal needs, those pursuits and these unparalleled circumstances beg various pointed questions. Is my case on hold? Do I have access to the courts? Can I still file a new case? Who is open for business?

Access to the courts

A common misconception among many within our Florida communities is that our courthouses have temporarily closed. Despite the well-known government directives and shelter in place orders, our courts have not shut down for one minute. Great reverence has been extended to the impacts of the coronavirus, but not even a global pandemic will abridge our access to our courts, as the right is constitutionally fundamental and is a cornerstone of our way of life in this great country of ours.

Continued access to our courts does not mean that nothing has changed in the legal community and within the practice of law during these times. We find ourselves temporarily conducting more hearings virtually than in times past. The use of remote platforms to address litigation needs is more prolific. Local and State level administrative and executive orders have imposed new obligations on lawyers and litigants and have outlined new and unique procedural requirements and subject-matter-specific relief. In a time of so many questions, one thing is without dispute: the need to have a team of lawyers that you know is skilled in managing these times and staying ahead of the curve could not be of more critical importance.

Our commitment to clients

Our team of lawyers and professionals at Birnbaum, Lippman & Gregoire, PLLC pride ourselves in having developed the skills and infrastructure over the years to adapt to the ever-changing evolution within the practice of law, a skill set which we believe is of elevated importance during these challenging times. We remain committed to helping those with family-law-related legal needs. We recognize that claims and concerns as serious and important as those addressed within family law litigation often times cannot be placed on hold, even for a global pandemic. Our firm, like the court system, remains open for business, and we look forward to being able to assist new and existing clients, no matter the challenges that lie ahead.

Written by Joshua Roberts, Esq.