ARRANGEMENTS FOR CLIENT MEETINGS – JUNE 2020 UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

As part of our commitment to create a safe working environment and begin our phased return to the office Hunt Solicitors Limited have carried out a COVID risk assessment.

As part of this assessment we have produced the following protocols for any clients who need to attend our office for a face to face appointment.

Please note virtual meetings are still the recommended guidance of the Executive and face to face meetings should only be used in the event an alternative option is not available. If you attend the office without an appointment we may not be able to accommodate a meeting with you so please do book in advance.

Should a face to face appointment be necessary we would ask all visitors to the office to read and follow these protocols which are now in place:

  1. When booking an appointment through reception or your case worker/Solicitor please let us know in advance how many people will be attending the meeting so we can facilitate the meeting taking place. We would ask that no more than two people attend unless absolutely necessary.
  2. We can only conduct socially distanced meetings in certain offices within the building therefore we would ask that if you require a downstairs room you make us aware of this so that we can ensure the correct meeting room is available for you.
  3. Appointments will now be staggered to ensure fewer people are in the office at all times therefore, we will not be able to offer the same number of appointments per day as we have done previously. However we will do our best to facilitate your appointment at a time suitable to you.
  4. We would ask you to only attend at the correct appointment time (e.g. please don’t turn up really early) to ensure the safest number of people are in the office at any one time.
  5. There is hand sanitiser available at reception which we would ask you to use on entering the building. Gloves and face masks are also available should you wish to use these products. If you wish to dispose of these items on leaving the building please dispose of them in the medical waste bin provided.
  6. Screens have been placed at front reception and on entering the building we would ask you to stop and book in with reception staff who will direct you to the waiting area or meeting room as appropriate.
  7. Unfortunately, we will no longer be able to offer any tea or coffee to clients in the waiting area and we appreciate you support of this decision. Should you require some water please advise reception and this will be provided to you in a disposable cup.
  8. Hand sanitiser is available in our meeting rooms which we would ask you to use.
  9. All meeting rooms which can be used whilst adhering to social distancing are sanitised before and after the appointments are conducted.

If you have any concerns about attending our office please do not hesitate to contact the Solicitor handling your case.

Conveyancing Update – 13 May 2020

We note with interest that the residential property market in England is being allowed to re-open from today. The NI Executive is clearly taking a more cautious approach given they have now published their “routemap” to recovery without any indicative timeline or dates.

The NI legislation on Covid-19 restrictions have to date closely followed the English model which has now changed from moving house “where necessary” to effectively allowing all normal activities to resume as long as social distancing is observed. We would hope the Executive here will adopt a similarly pragmatic approach as soon as they feel able to do so.

Our experience to date during the coronavirus lockdown has been that the vast majority of clients have put transactions on hold rather than pulling out altogether. So, for those waiting to move, here are a few thoughts on some of the factors they should consider:

  • The Land Registry closure has been one of the main difficulties with the local property market during this time. They have put in place a digital workaround which most mortgage lenders seem to be happy to work with. Given this is not the usual way of securing protection for those lenders we are having to check with them on a case by case basis that they are happy to proceed. As of Monday 11th May those properties registered with Registry of Deeds can be dealt with in the normal fashion. Please feel free to get in touch with us to check with us which applies to your property.
  • Solicitors obtain and exchange various property certificates and searches which provide information held by public bodies about the vendor and the property itself. These are vital to ensure the buyer can sign a contract with full knowledge of a range of planning, building control and other issues which might affect the property or the vendor’s ability to sell it. While the majority of these searches etc. are still coming through the processing times are a lot slower than in usual market conditions.
  • Surveyors have not been able to access properties so if you do not yet have a mortgage offer you should check with your proposed lender if they will be able workaround this. Some banks are willing to use “desktop” valuations but their willingness to do so may even then be linked to you loan-to-value ratio required.
  • If you have already received a mortgage offer check when this is valid to. If the offer has expired or is close to that stage you or your mortgage broker can apply to the lender for an extension. Most are willing to do so.
  • Re-opening of offices for business is only anticipated at Step Three of the NI Executive’s plan. We would not anticipate clients routinely attending our office to sign contracts etc until at least that stage. We have developed ways of dealing with this lack of face to face meetings for the limited number of transactions that have been able to proceed during the lockdown period. It may be one unexpected positive outcome of this crisis that these new remote meeting arrangements will prove to be more convenient for clients in the long term. Again, please do get in touch to discuss these in more detail.

The issues considered above are not an exhaustive list of things to think about but they should give an indication that careful planning will be needed to project target completion dates. We would suggest that, as we move closer to easing of restrictions, clients contact estate agents to start the conversation about when might suit all concerned to complete.

We are still working both remotely and with a skeleton staff in the office. All conveyancing files are up to date with all documentation allocated to cases and as such we are ready to move as soon as you are (once restriction levels permit this of course). Please do get in touch on 02890428600 or via [email protected]

Parental Contact in the Coronavirus Crisis

The country is in the middle of a public health crisis on an unprecedented scale. Regardless of their age, this is also a difficult time for children and young people and all parents want to be able to support their families.

When the government advised people to say at home on 23rd March it also clearly stated –

“Where parents do not live in the same household, children under 18 can be moved between their parents’ homes.”

This establishes an exception to the mandatory ‘stay at home’ requirement although it does not mean that children must be moved between homes.

The decision whether a child is to move between parental homes is for the child’s parents to make after a sensible assessment of the circumstances, including the child’s present health, the risk of infection and the presence of any recognised vulnerable individuals in one household or the other.

The best way to deal with these difficult times is for parents to communicate with one another about their worries, and what they think would be a good, practical solution for their children.

In legal terms the situation is clear that, despite some confusion at the outset of lockdown, established contact arrangements should continue where it is safe to do so.

Parents should not take advantage of the present crisis to prevent parental contact and if you are concerned that this is happening to you get in touch with us today. This is an area in which the courts are still hearing cases during the lockdown so our experienced family law team can help you resolve any contact problems. You do not have to wait weeks or months to take action.

Give us a call today on 028 90428600, fill in our contact form or e-mail us at [email protected]

Business Start-Up Legal Advice

The Coronavirus crisis has had an unprecedented effect on the employment market with tens of thousands of people in Northern Ireland either working from home for the first time or perhaps furloughed by employers and left in limbo.

A lot of businesses sadly will not make it through the crisis and ensuing recession. Even those employees fortunate enough to have received government job retention scheme support in the short term may find that they don’t have jobs to return to in the long run.

At times like these people may re-evaluate their work/life balance and it may be that you have enjoyed working from home or being in charge of your own time and place of work. If you want to start your own business, whatever that may be, there are a myriad of things to consider but we can certainly help with the legal aspects.

Some of the main areas we advise new business owners on include:

Business Formation

We can advise you on the pro’s and con’s of partnership vs company formation if two or more of you want to go into business together.

If you are going down the Limited Company route we can draft the relevant documents to make sure they are suitable to your business and avoid potential pitfalls.

Shareholder and Partnership Agreements

No matter which business set-up you opt for anyone who is not a sole owner of a business should look to set up suitable agreements between themselves. These offer protection and pre-agreed methods of dealing with serious future situations e.g. if the owners wish to part company or even what happens if one of them dies.

Terms of Business

All businesses, large or small, should have robust terms of business as these will form the basis of all relationships with clients and customers. We can provide tailored terms for your specific needs or even simply review existing ones you may have to ensure they are up to date and don’t miss any important issues.

Employment Contracts

Anyone employing people to work for them knows they should put a proper contract in place for the benefit of both employer and employee. Sadly, this is too often overlooked as something of a hassle and a job for another day. We can provide tailored cost-effective contracts as well as advice on other legal obligations of employers.

As with all our services Hunt Solicitors offer a no obligation free initial consultation to see how we can assist you if you are considering starting your own business. Get in touch today on 028 90428600 or via [email protected] and let us hlp you get started.

Covid-19 Update on Making Wills

We have been getting a number of enquiries about whether or not it is possible to go ahead with making a Will during the Covid-19 crisis.

We want to let all new and existing clients know that we are still here to take your Will instructions, and indeed existing Wills can be amended.

Instructions can be taken over the phone, by e-mail or using other remote facilities such as Microsoft Teams, Zoom etc. If a face to face meeting in our office is preferred this can be arranged as our office can comply with all social distancing requirements similarly if you would prefer a home visit, we are happy to accommodate this, provided the social distancing rules can be adhered to.

Appropriate arrangements need to be agreed and observed to ensure your safety and our own.

Once you are happy with the terms of the Will we can arrange the best way to have the document signed and witnessed in the correct manner. There are a number of ways to facilitate this and we will discuss the best and safest option for you and our staff to ensure a valid Will is created.

We have a special offer for all NHS workers making Wills but would ask that you contact us to discuss the details.

Please note that whilst face to face meetings can be pre-arranged as noted above our office is not presently open to the public. Accordingly we would ask anyone interested in proceeding to initially contact us on 028 90428600 or via [email protected] and we can organise the best way forward.

Easter 2020

Please note we will be closed On Friday 10th, Monday 13th and Tuesday 14th April 2020.

Easter 2020

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