Law Office Adjusts To New Realities

NORTHBROOK, IL — In this age of social distancing, many businesses have needed to get creative in an uphill attempt to try to make things seem as normal as they can be. When more than half of your clientele also falls under the category of being most vulnerable to COVID-19, this can be especially challenging. Matlin Law Group, P.C., a Northbrook estate planning law firm, believes its found ways to stay proactive and be safe doing it.

As the State of Illinois appears to be moving forward in the next phase of its Restore Illinois plan in the coming weeks, things may ease up for businesses, but the lawyers and staff at Matlin Law Group knows it will probably never be the way it was.

"We do think that Matlin Law will sustain, but there will be a new normal," said Johannah K. Hebl, attorney at law for Matlin. "We will keep a small office staff for the foreseeable future and continue to have the majority of our staff work from home."

In March, the firm's 14 employees began working remotely even as Gov. J.B. Pritzker deemed legal services essential. Admitting the health of the staff and clientele was a top priority, the decision was easy. It helped that several years prior, Matlin invested in a software system enables attorneys to work remotely. After some training, the entire staff was prepared to do it.

"The transition was not without some pain, and we relied heavily upon our IT consultants and office manager to shepherd us through this new way of doing business," Hebl said.

According to Hebl, once remotely working, the firm quickly divided into sub-groups that continue to meet on a daily basis to adjust to new court procedures, pending matters and client needs. Every Friday at noon, all 14 staff members get together to connect.

At the beginning of May, Matlin opted to have a limited staff of 3-4 employees in the office.

"We are practicing physical distancing and have purchased masks, gloves, cleaning supplies and an acrylic shield for our receptionist," Hebl said. "We remain open for business, although the experience is different, as we have not yet had clients inside our physical office space."

Approximately 50-60 percent of Matlin's clients are seniors (over 65) and many have some additional health issues that compromise their immunity to COVID-19. Not wanting to risk the safety of clients, the firm schedules video and telephone conferences with all its clients.

"[Earlier this month] I met with a 91-year-old client by video conference," Hebl said. "He said 'it was a good day because I figured out my computer.' There was definitely a sense of pride on his face."

Tensley Garris, president of the Northbrook Chamber of Commerce, has been awed by how quickly and creatively businesses like Matlin Law Group were able to pivot under the restrictions of the stay-at-home order.

"Professional service providers have had to implement social distancing procedures. Technology and mastering new skills are common themes for these adaptations," Garris said. "Business owners have had to learn to 'Zoom' to connect with clients and employees, perfect social media skills to let the public know they’re open, and tackle the IT challenges of working from home. I believe that these skills and tools will become permanent fixtures in our work life, as they enable businesses to operate more efficiently and flexibly."

For Matlin Law Group, Pritzker approved an order in March that permits remote witnessing of documents for clients. According to Hebl, the process for doing remote video witnessing and notary signings must be strictly followed to ensure that the documents are valid now and in the future.

"One of our biggest difficulties is helping clients in assisting living or hospital situations," Hebl said. "We never recommend that clients wait until they are ill to plan their estate, but previously we had always been willing to make 'house calls.' Now, that is simply out of the question and our ability to help is limited to the specific circumstances."

Working with clients that have lost a loved one to COVID-19, or any other reason, this period has been difficult.

"The grieving process is especially lonely and the connection is just not the same with a telephone or video call," Hebl said.

To learn more about the Matlin Law Group, P.C., visit https://www.matlinlawgroup.com/.