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At Stephen Durbin and Associates our team continues to closely monitor the impact of COVID-19 on human life and businesses at international and local levels. Following the order of the Government of Ontario on March 23, 2020, our offices remain open to provide legal services in family law, including urgent child- related matters and temporary support adjustment. As always, our top priority is the health and safety of our employees, clients and communities.

Considered to be an exception by the provincial government, thus being an essential business, we are committed to providing exceptional services to our valued clients. This means adapting our practice as necessary to ensure our policies are aligned with the latest health recommendations and in accordance with the practice management guidelines outlined by the Law Society of Ontario (LSO).

In recent weeks we have implemented the following procedures across all our locations:

• Social distancing is practiced in the office with extra sanitation practices being enforced dail.
• Wherever possible, our staff have been equipped with the necessary tools to complete work remotely and continue to be available by email and telephone.
• In-person meetings are currently offered by appointment only and require each client to complete a health-assessment questionnaire in advance of attending the office.

As a family law firm, our goal is to support our community’s immediate family law needs, reaching out to those parents who are now faced with unprecedented circumstances. We remain committed to staying connected with our community by keeping everyone updated on changes taking place at the firm and maintaining our position as a source of information for family law.

Each week we will endeavor to post new articles on our website, inviting our readers to gain insights from our team of talented associates. Though the articles are not meant to replace the need for legal advice, they will cover a wide range of questions, facts and discussions in family law. We hope they provide some clarity during these turbulent times.

To remove the financial barriers created by COVID-19 we are temporarily eliminating our consultation fees. Effective immediately SD&A is offering free 30-minute remote initial consultations by video or phone. Additionally, we will be offering a 25% on all legal fees (billed hourly, not including disbursements) to help ease the pressure of these difficult times on our new clients.

Regardless of the situation, we understand how a single conversation can make a tremendous difference. If you need assistance with your family law matter or have questions about a specific situation, please call our office at 1-855-544-5222 or email intake@sdalaw.ca for information and to schedule a consultation.

With the goal of reducing the spread of COVID-19, we will continue to operate remotely. However, if an in-person meeting is necessary we will do our best to accommodate these appointments while adhering to our heightened health and safety practices.

To keep everyone safe, we ask that you please do not attend our offices if you have:

• Experienced flu-like symptoms such as cough, fever, difficulty breathing:
• Travelled outside of Canada in the last 14 days;
• Been in close contact with someone who has shown symptoms of COVID-19;
• Been in close contact with someone who has travelled outside of Canada in the last 14 days.

We will continue to follow the recommendations of the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) and will keep you all informed of any upcoming changes.

We wish you and your families all the best as we collectively face the challenges ahead.

Sincerely,

The Management Team at SD&A