Governors Executive Order permits certain businesses, including law firms, to operate with limited in-office operations
We will be signing Wills, Powers of Attorneys, Living Wills on March 23 and March 24 in our office to accommodate persons that previously needed documents done.
Gov. Phil Murphy ordered all non-essential retail businesses in New Jersey to close by 9 p.m. March 21 in hopes of slowing the spread of COVID-19
Other businesses, including law firms, are directed to have most of their workforce, “wherever practicable,” telework from home, with the exception of employees who cannot perform their functions via these arrangements. Specifically, “the business or non-profit should make the best efforts to reduce staff on site to the minimal number necessary to ensure that essential operations can continue.” The order lists examples of employees who need to be physically present as those who perform general building maintenance, IT maintenance and administrative functions, among others.
Wills, Powers of Attorneys and Living Wills cannot be signed remotely. Wills, Powers of Attorneys can only be signed in front of an attorney or notary, otherwise they are invalid.
The New Jersey State Bar Association, with support from county and affinity bars, successfully advocated that the legal community is an integral part of ensuring that people have access to justice, especially in these critical and uncertain times. A complete closing of law firm offices would mean many law firms, especially smaller firm practices that make up a large percentage of the firms in the state, would not be able to function and serve the myriad legal needs that exist in their communities.
Executive Order 107 can be found https://nj.gov/infobank/eo/056murphy/pdf/EO-107.pdf
See page 10, paragraphs 10 and 11, which apply to law firms.
