4th January 2020: UPDATE
Due to moving into tier 4, we have made the decision that all appointments will now be offered face to face subject to Government guidance and by appointment only. We can conduct any meeting by Phone call Skype, Zoom, Facetime or WhatsApp video.
Client’s new and old are still able to contact the office on 01543 441802, where a member of the team will be on hand to deal with any queries or enquiries you may have.
For existing clients, the solicitor who is dealing with your matter is available by contacting the office by telephone or directly via email
Court hearings - the solicitor dealing with your matter will contact you directly to agree the necessary arrangements.
For the time being, access to the office is restricted to staff only. However, any post can be left in our secure letter box where it will be processed daily.
We thank you for your cooperation at this unprecedented time.
1st December 2020: UPDATE
Our office will be open to the public from the 2nd December 2020 for pre-booked appointments only. Due to the size of the building and the safety measures in place which restrict the waiting area, access will not be permitted to anyone who does not have an appointment.
We have strict Covid-19 client safeguarding measures for face to face appointments which are listed below.
• Please do not attend for any appointment, if you, or anyone you have been in contact with, has had symptoms of Coronavirus or been contacted by NHS Track & Trace within the last 14 days, even if these symptoms are mild.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/check-if-you-have-coronavirus-symptoms/
• We ask clients to attend at their appointment time only, there is no waiting area available at present.
Face coverings are compulsory when entering the building.
• We ask clients to send documents to us via electronic means wherever possible.
• We ask clients to attend appointments unaccompanied unless assistance is required under the remit of The Equality Act 2010.
• Please sanitise hands on entry, sanitiser is also available in all meeting rooms.
• Please follow the safety guidance around the building to ensure the safety of visitors and staff.
• Please always ensure a safe distance of 2m.
• Toilets are currently available for staff use only (unless access is required under the remit of The Equality Act 2010).
• If you have any questions about this policy please refer these to Sarah Wallett, Practice Manager at sarah@yourlocalfamilysolicitor.co.uk or 01543 441802.
• We thank you in advance for your cooperation in keeping us all safe.
We continue to offer telephone appointments for those client’s who would prefer not to attend the office.
We look forward to welcoming our clients back, both old and new.
YLFS
4th November 2020 : UPDATE
Following the Government update on the 31st October, our office will remain closed to the public, with all staff working remotely for the period of the lockdown.
Client’s new and old are still able to contact the office on 01543 441802, where a member of the team will be on hand to deal with any queries or enquiries you may have.
For existing clients, the solicitor who is dealing with your matter is available by contacting their mobile numbers directly or via email.
Court hearings - the solicitor dealing with your matter will contact you directly to agree the necessary arrangements.
Any post can be left in our secure letter box where it will be processed daily.
We thank you for your continued support at this unprecedented time.
1st October 2020: UPDATE
Due to the current rise in Covid-19 cases and following Government guidance, we have made the decision that all appointments will now be offered by virtual appointment only.
Client’s new and old are still able to contact the office on 01543 441802, where a member of the team will be on hand to deal with any queries or enquiries you may have.
For existing clients, the solicitor who is dealing with your matter is available by contacting the office by telephone or directly via email
Court hearings - the solicitor dealing with your matter will contact you directly to agree the necessary arrangements.
For the time being, access to the office is restricted to staff only. However, any post can be left in our secure letter box where it will be processed daily.
We thank you for your cooperation at this unprecedented time.
7th August 2020: UPDATE
From the 8th August the Government has updated its mandatory list for places the public must wear face coverings. This list now includes "premises providing professional, legal or financial services". As we fall under this category, face masks are now mandatory in our office.
6th July 2020: UPDATE
We have made the decision to open our office to the public from the 6th July 2020 for pre-booked appointments only. Access will not be allowed to anyone who does not have an appointment due to the size of the building and the safety measures in place which restrict the waiting area.
We have strict Covid-19 client safeguarding measures for face to face appointments which are listed below.
• Please do not attend for any appointment, if you, or anyone you have been in contact with, has had symptoms of Coronavirus or been contacted by NHS Track & Trace within the last 14 days, even if these symptoms are mild.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/check-if-you-have-coronavirus-symptoms/
• We ask clients to attend at their appointment time only, there is no waiting area available at present.
• We ask clients to send documents to us via electronic means wherever possible.
• We ask clients to attend appointments unaccompanied unless assistance is required under the remit of The Equality Act 2010.
• Please sanitise hands on entry, sanitiser is also available in all meeting rooms.
• Please follow the safety guidance around the building to ensure the safety of visitors and staff.
• Please always ensure a safe distance of 2m.
• Toilets are currently available for staff use only (unless access is required under the remit of The Equality Act 2010).
• If you have any questions about this policy please refer these to Sarah Wallett, Practice Manager at sarah@yourlocalfamilysolicitor.co.uk or 01543 441802.
• We thank you in advance for your cooperation in keeping us all safe.
We look forward to welcoming our clients back, both old and new.
YLFS
12th June 2020: UPDATE
The Government has now started to lift lockdown restrictions with retail stores now starting to reopen with social distancing measures in place. With this in mind, we thought we would update you with what we have been doing over the last few weeks at YLFS to make the changes needed to meet the standards of the public heath guidance.
We currently have no set date when we will be reopening the office again for face to face appointments. We have been working remotely where necessary, conducting appointments during the last three months via telephone and video call and this system has gained excellent feedback.
We have created a reception area with a screen to protect our employees when dealing with clients. We have marked 2 metres throughout the building with tape so both employees and clients know to keep a safe distance from one another. There are hand sanitizers at the entrance to the building and on every floor and in each room of the building.
There are now two meeting rooms to safely accommodate our clients, with tables that will create a 2-metre distance between the employee and the client. Appointments will be arranged so there will be no conflict of clients attending and leaving. There are now specific staff only zones including the toilets and kitchen.
Due to the family nature of the business, employees who are not family members of the same household have their own office space, where employees who are family members of the same household are able to share offices. Specific areas such as the kitchen are accessed by one employee at a time, with the expectation that employees disinfect surfaces before they leave the area. Continuous washing of hands and use of hand sanitizer is expected of every employee.
We hope that you can see that we are taking every precaution to help stop the spread of Covid-19 in our office. We will continue to keep the website and Facebook updated with the most recent updates and when we plan to open the office to the public and welcome all employees back.
Stay safe YLFS
11th May 2020: UPDATE
We are now moving into our 8th week of lockdown with the expectation that significant change will be needed for some time to come.
We wanted to keep you updated with what has been happening at Your Local Family Solicitors.
We have been busy making adjustments to accommodate the ‘new normal’ to ensure we are able to offer new and current clients, the same high-quality experience that they would have received before the restrictions.
We have successfully been operating telephone appointments for new and existing clients and the feedback we have received has been positive.
Wills are still being completed with options available for vulnerable people who need assistance with the preparation and execution of a new will.
We are busy planning ahead for when restrictions are lifted so we can slowly move back to normal practice. We have previously invested heavily in technology and training and this has enabled us to smoothly move to remote working.
We have continued to support our charity of the year St Giles Hospice in as many ways as possible, and this will continue throughout the year.
You can follow our updates on our Instagram and Facebook pages, just search for Your Local Family Solicitors.
Lastly, we wanted to thank all our clients for their continued understanding and hope you all continue to stay safe.
If you have any queries or need further advice. please call the office on 01543441802
21st April 2020: UPDATE
It has now been a full month since we began remote working here at YLFS and we thought we would give you an update on how things are going.
We are still able to book in new and current client appointments with both our solicitors Garfield and Joanne. There is an option of both a telephone or a video call appointment for clients to choose from. Post is monitored daily, with someone attending the office to process post.
The court’s are undertaking telephone and video conference hearings, however, there has been some disruption to non-urgent hearings.
We are still able to take instructions for new wills and have various options for the execution of a will depending on individual circumstances.
Please contact the office Monday to Friday, 9am - 5pm on 01543 441802 if you would like to book a free initial consultation with one of our solicitors.
6th April 2020: UPDATE
We would like to keep you updated on what has been going on at Your Local Family Solicitors during the first fortnight of the new social distancing lockdown.
We have now been remote working for nearly two weeks. We have found that the systems we have in place are working well and we are working as effectively as if we were working in the physical office.
We are still visiting the office to process the post, enabling us to keep clients updated with any recent correspondence relating to their cases.
We have now had the first of our telephone court hearings. However, the courts are adapting to the new systems and we have seen some hearings postponed.
We are still able to offer appointments to both new and current clients using both telephone and video call appointments.
Please contact the office on 01543 441802 if you would like to book an appointment with one of our solicitors or if you have any queries.
25th March 2020 - COVID 19 Update:
In line with the Government guidelines on Monday night, we have made the decision that all staff members will now work remotely.
We want to reassure our clients, that we will endeavour to mitigate any delay in your matter and we have invested heavily in our technology, to enable us to work as if we were in the office.
Client’s new and old are still able to contact the office number, where a member of the team will be on hand to deal with any queries or enquiries you may have.
For existing clients, the solicitor who is dealing with your matter is available on their mobile number, you will find this at the bottom of both emails and letters you have received from them.
We will attend the office to process incoming and outgoing post to allow the progress of matters.
We thank you for your understanding at this unprecedented time.
Yours Faithfully,
Your Local Family Solicitors
24th March 2020 - Advice For Separated Parents:
Some updated guidance from Government on the movement of children of separated parents between families.
"To confirm - while children should not normally be moving between households, we recognise that this may be necessary when children who are under 18 move between separated parents."
"This is permissible and has been made clear in the guidance."
Michael Gove MP
23rd March 2020 - General Practice Update:
Following the guidance of our Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, on Friday 20th March, We have made the decision, that in the interim, we will no longer offer face to face appointments, to limit the spread of the Covid-19 virus.
We want to reassure all clients, existing and new, that this does not affect the progress of your matter. We have invested heavily in our IT infrastructure and this allows us to continue working on your matter from any location. Where there is a need for an appointment we have the ability to offer telephone or WhatsApp video calls for existing clients and those wishing to instruct us.
If you have an upcoming court hearing, We are receiving guidance from the judicial system daily as to how hearings will be undertaken, we have been reassured there are systems in place to allow the progress of court cases.
We do ask that any payments are made via electronic means using the bank details on any invoice or from our ways to pay information provided with our client care documentation. Alternatively, please contact the office number to make a card payment. We would ask that you do not send in cheques or cash to limit exposure of our staff and banking staff.
We will not change our bank details during the course of your matter, nor we will we email with bank details for payment. If you have any queries, please first contact the solicitor dealing with your case before sending any money.
We will continue to attend the office to process incoming and outgoing post daily. However, we will send as much correspondence as possible via email during this time.
If you need to speak with any of our team, please contact the office on 01543 441802 or using the mobile numbers given on any of our letters. We will continue to provide updates via our website at www.yourlocalfamilysolicitor.co.uk
From our family to yours, we thank you in advance for your understanding and wish you all the best at this unprecedented time.
Your Local Family Solicitors
16th March 2020 - COVID 19
With the current uncertainty regarding Coronavirus, we wanted to reassure our clients that we are open for business as normal.
For those who may not wish to visit the office in person, we are able to offer our existing clients appointments via telephone and video call.
In the event that the office has to close, we have procedures in place to keep the business running as smoothly as possible for new and existing clients.
Can we ask all client's to refrain from visiting the office if they have any symptoms even minor, to enable us to keep the office open.
Please contact the office if you have any questions on 01543441802.
