Business-Related Silver Linings In The Age Of COVID

June 1, 2021 • By David W. Conver

A year ago at this time, we were banished from the office, figuring out ways to practice law from home, and struggling to make ends meet. Where are we now? How can we adapt? What we have learned from the past year can positively change the ways we practice law in the future.

Since March of 2020, I have taken Will notes over the telephone in my dining room, and emailed photos of the notes to Tracey, who magically turned them into legal documents.  I have taught a class to retiring school teachers via Zoom from my family room. I have run a Board meeting from the shores of Tampa Bay. And I have probated via iPhone from here in the office, with a client in Missouri, and the Register of Wills in Norristown.

All of these things, resulting from this disaster, prove we are flexible, resilient, and capable of transforming firm operations when necessary. With collaboration, technology and a little creativity, there are no limits to how, when, and where we practice law.

When I do Wills, my clients most often ask if I will be around when the Will gets probated? The answer is, that someone from the firm will be around but, since I am now able to practice law on the fly into my late 60’s and 70’s, it is more likely the answer will be yes. This is a sea change in the practice my grandfather began eight years before the last pandemic. This past week I had a client change an appointment by email on a Monday night — the change never got into my calendar.  Since I was not able to attend the meeting in person, we did it via Zoom. Turns out this new way of working, brought about by COVID, has benefits after all.  

Write to me at dconver@dbdlaw.com with your COVID silver lining story.  Let us learn together how surviving an international crisis can make us a more efficient and valuable servant to our clients.