As the severity of restrictions imposed to combat the corona virus increases, I want to reassure clients that Lewis O’Brien & Associates will continue to provide advice and services to our clients to the maximum possible extent.
Clearly face to face meetings are to be avoided. Our staff will increasingly work from home which will mean some minor disruptions.
However, we can continue to effectively provide advice using a combination of telephone, email and video conferencing – particularly as we have been scanning client files (including current files) into electronic format for many years. We can already complete verification of identity via video conference and I believe we will be able to provide solicitor’s certificates to mortgagees on the same basis shortly. We do not expect any disruption to scheduled settlements which are now electronic and therefore do not present any direct corona virus risk.
In difficult times, I believe it is important to have the best possible legal advice. Lewis O’Brien and Associates will continue to offer superior legal advice with a practical element – as we have done for the more than 20 years – albeit in a slightly different format.
Over this time Lewis O’Brien & Associates (and Australia generally) has survived the Asian financial crisis, the dot com bubble, the sub prime mortgage crisis, the European sovereign debt crisis, SARS and much more. Whilst the impact of the corona virus on Australia and its economic fallout will likely be more severe than any of these past events, I believe Australia is better placed than most countries to deal with this challenge and I look forward to the brighter days that await us in the future.
In the meantime, stay safe and look after yourself and your family!
Lewis O’Brien