Lawyers to Give Away $10,000 in Free Services to Our Local Heroes

COVID-19 has affected all of us in many ways. In the legal realm, it has prevented people from taking essential actions that are necessary to protect themselves and their families should something arise. For example, during the first week of March of 2020 I had two couples with young children and one senior citizen retain me to prepare estate plans for each of them. I prepared the plans and sent drafts to each client for review. All five individuals were scheduled to return to my office to execute the documents including wills, powers of attorney for health care, powers of attorney for property and a “living will”. Then the coronavirus or COVID-19 hit. Understandably all five individuals decided for health reasons to wait to execute their documents until they could do so safely.

Thanks to recent action taken by Illinois Governor JB Pritzker we can now assist all five clients in executing their plans without any of them having to step foot in our office during this state of emergency.

On March 26, 2020, the Governor issued Executive Order 2020-14 in response to some of the legal and logistical challenges we are facing with COVID-19. The Order was intended to address critical personal and business decisions that Illinoisans and their attorneys continue to face when it comes to signing, witnessing and notarizing legal documents while also respecting the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control as they relate to “social distancing”.

Specifically, the Executive Order recognized that various legal documents are required by law to be witnessed or notarized in person. The Order was aimed at using technology to overcome the dangers that exist with in person meetings to sign such documents while we fight COVID-19.

In accordance with the Executive Order, Illinois residents and businesses will be allowed to use remote video and audio technology to assist with witnessing and notarizing of legal documents, provided certain protocols are followed. As example, while normally two witnesses must be present when a last will and testament is signed in Illinois by the testator, and in the same room to see and hear the testator signing the document, now the witnesses and testator can be in separate locations across town or even across the state.

This means that seniors and those with compromised immune systems do not have to leave their house to execute a Will, power of attorney for property or a power of attorney for healthcare. It also means attorneys, staff members and notaries can also continue to engage in social distancing while continuing to serve clients who are in need.

This order is particularly useful for our everyday heroes: the doctors, nurses, first responders, delivery drivers, grocery store employees and all the other people who continue to work and expose themselves to the dangers of COVID-19 so the rest of us can continue to live while working from home. The natural side effect of those individuals continuing to work and expose themselves to others means they are at a higher risk of contracting COVID-19, in which case estate planning documents can become critically important.

As soon as Giamanco Law Partners learned of the Governor’s Executive Order we considered how we might be able to not only help our clients but how we might be able to help those who are most at risk. This led our attorneys to a discussion of donating their time, professional services and to help give others the piece of mind to know that they have an estate plan in place should they need one. In turn we decided to donate at least $10,000 in free legal services to those everyday heroes who continue to serve our community.

For those first responders, medical staff, doctors, nurses, delivery drivers, and grocery store employees who would like to have an estate plan prepared for them, at no cost, they should call at 630-635-5555 or 815-435-5555 to set up a video consultation with an attorney. In order to receive free services potential clients will need to identify themselves as working in qualifying job and provide proof of employment. Certain other restrictions may also apply. Once the free services are exhausted the firm will continue to offer qualifying clients the same services at discounted rates throughout the COVID-19 crisis.

Others who are interested in having an estate plan prepared are also encouraged to call. Giamanco Law Partners provides all initial phone consultations at no cost. For more information about Giamanco Law Partners visit www.glawpartners.com or their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/giamancolaw.