Rhode Island Monthly May/June 2020 | Page 96

S P E C I A L P R O M O T I O N S PROFESSIONAL Excellence | LAW The Lawyer: William J. Lynch of William J. Lynch, Attorney at Law The Area of Practice: Divorce and Family Court Law The Challenge: Families already going through difficult times now also have to deal with the financial stress and emotional uncertainty caused by COVID-19. The Adjustment: With courts essentially closed, we have had to quickly transition to increased telephonic conferences and electronic communication with our clients and opposing counsel. Learn More: wjlynchlaw.com The Lawyer: Anthony R. Leone of Leone Law, LLC The Area of Practice: We represent injury clients and their families, particularly people injured or killed because of negligence in nursing homes or assisted living facilities. The Challenge: Our firm was prepared to work remotely. We already had in place the basic tools to work from home. Our team communicates daily and our answering service handles and routes client calls. It is difficult not being able to meet face to face with clients, but Zoom and similar services have been very helpful. The biggest challenge has been getting documents notarized. The governor’s executive order allowing remote notarization will be a big help. The Adjustment: Patience and creative thinking. We are taking things one day at a time and addressing each new challenge as it comes up. Learn More: leonelawllc.com The Lawyer: Anthony R. Mignanelli of Mignanelli and Associates, LTD. The Area of Practice: Wills, Trusts and Probate The Challenge: Moving from the office to the home setting. The Adjustment: We have allowed all employees to move their workstations to their homes so that they can continue to work. We are attempting to speak with clients at any time that is convenient for them and we are also able to draft estate planning documents and interact with clients remotely. Once the documents are approved, we are able to meet in a safe environment space to execute the documents if they need to be executed immediately. Learn More: mignanelli.com ABOVE the Bar Six local lawyers discuss how COVID-19 has challenged their profession. 94 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l MAY/JUNE 2020