Hutchens Law Firm LLP’s response to the coronavirus
We value each and every one of our clients, employees, friends, and neighbors. Together, we have a social responsibility as a community partner to take proactive measures to keep our community well and to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
Across North Carolina and South Carolina, our offices remain open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at all of our locations. However, we are implementing some additional precautions to limit social interactions and personal proximity.
While video teleconferencing has been available for some time at our Firm, we are encouraging our clients to select this option with our attorneys whenever possible.
Should an in-person appointment need to be made for document signing (including real estate closings):
- As directed by CDC precautions, we will reschedule your closing if you:
- Have traveled to, or had contact with, any person that within the last 14 days, traveled to an overseas country that is the subject of a Level 3 Travel Health Notice issued by the CDC;
- Have been asked to self-quarantine by any doctor, hospital, or health agency;
- Have been diagnosed with, or have had contact with, anyone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19;
- Have a fever, cough, or shortness of breath.
- We request that agents and lenders not attend the closing;
- We will handle all cash real estate closings remotely via e-mail and wire;
- We will schedule the meetings in a conference room that has been sanitized before and after each appointment;
- We will require only those necessary to satisfy legal requirements in a matter to be present;
- We will recommend using stairs or not sharing elevators when going to the assigned meeting space; and
- We will provide pens for you to take with you for document signing.
Until further notice, we will not permit walk-in appointments or visitors, and we are restricting all client and visitor access to designated areas in our offices.
Our housekeeping staff is diligently and carefully sanitizing and cleaning our buildings several times a day, taking extra care in shared areas and frequently touched spaces. Our staff has been instructed to use proper personal protective measures such as hand washing/sanitizing, social distancing, and staying at home if they have any symptoms of illnesses, to name a few.
The Order from the Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court has postponed most court cases for thirty (30) days starting on March 16, 2020. We will work with you to reschedule your cases as quickly as possible once permitted to do so.
Our community has faced hurricanes, floods, blizzards, and other challenges together in the past, and we’ve taken these lessons to heart by finding ways to minimize the impact of events like these to our clients and staff. Our Firm will continually monitor the status of the coronavirus so we are prepared to resume normal operations as quickly as possible.
From all of us at Hutchens Law Firm LLP, please stay well.