I, like many other lawyers, worked from home during the
pandemic shutdown in New York. In light of the Governor’s
Executive Orders, my firm was forced to have our entire staff of
more than one hundred employees ready and able to work from
home seemingly overnight. We accomplished this monumental
feat by making sure everyone had the proper software, video
capabilities, workstations and printers. Thankfully, we were
successful and we continued to service our clients’ legal needs.
After the shutdown, we returned to our offices by following the strict guidelines set by the federal and
state authorities. Although we schedule in person meetings, we regularly conduct video conferences
with our clients via Zoom, Skype and Teams. Many of our clients prefer video conferences over in
person meetings because they are safer and require less time and travel.
The Surrogate’s Courts of New York City and Long Island have been forced to quickly become tech savvy
as well. Before the Pandemic, only the Suffolk County Surrogate’s Court accepted electronic filings of
proceedings for probate, administration, accountings and contested matters. Presently, all of the
Surrogate’s Courts are accepting filings by electronic means so that lawyers may file papers from their
offices saving clients time and money.
Additionally, the Surrogate’s Courts are holding conferences and hearings virtually rather than in
person. This reduces the time an attorney spends traveling to and from court which translates to lower
costs for the client.
I believe that the shift away from in person appearances before the courts will remain in place even
after the Pandemic is over. Lawyers offering video conferencing to clients will also continue and
become more prevalent as clients express their preference for the technology.
The Coronavirus Pandemic has turbo charged transformation of the legal industry and pushed us all
into the digital age. We have had to learn to work remotely and incorporate technology into our work
life more than ever.