[1]By Legal Futures’ Associate Finders International [2]
As every business in the UK has found in recent weeks, the impact of the current COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to rethink and adapt at lightning speed to vastly different circumstances, writes Danny Curran, CEO and founder of Finders International [3].
We want to reassure all our private client solicitors that we have put in place the social distancing measures, with most of our staff working from home. Our offices in Edinburgh and Dublin are currently closed, although the London office has a skeleton staff allowing workers to maintain the two metres or more distance from each other.
Our staff working from home have remote access to our management systems, case files, document sharing, telephone lines and email. And again, as the rest of the world has done, we’ve embraced video conferencing tools allowing us to touch base with each other and our clients.
NEW offering—collection and signature services
At Finders International [3], we have a network of more than 40 representatives, mainly ex-police officers, around the UK and Ireland that we use exclusively for our business. But as collection, delivery and signatory services are now much more challenging for private client solicitors, we have decided to open that service for others.
You may need assistance in a wide variety of situations, especially those involving elderly or terminally ill people. Our service is for anyone needing personal pick-ups, drop-offs, signature or delivery of sensitive items or correspondence [4].
Our network covers the whole of the UK and Ireland—no matter how remote. Representatives can deliver/return any items door to door (including from home workers), obtain instructions or signatures, and pick up or deliver items, whilst strictly following government guidelines.
Responsibility for management of the deceased
They can also search an empty property and prepare inventory as part of our Finders Probate Property Sales and Services [5]. Our network is classed as key workers because they fall into the category of “those responsible for the management of the deceased”. They are all criminal-record checked and have received sensitivities training in dementia awareness.
They use their own vehicles to drive to locations and the service is GDPR and data protection complaint. To keep our representatives and beneficiaries safe, our network adheres to official guidance around the delivery of items.
For many years now, we’ve been running successful Deputyship Development Days for solicitors and those in the public sector acting as deputies and dealing with vulnerable clients, free of charge.
E-conferences
Our latest event—Friday 24 April—took the form of an e-conference with talks on appointee bonds, investment issues and advice and tips on working during a pandemic.
Our live events for the North West, the Midlands and Wales have been postponed until next year. Our Private Client, Wills and Probate Solicitor event has been rescheduled for 20 October 2020. If you would like to find out more and sign up, you can do so here [6].
Our annual National Development Day is still planned for September, providing such events are permitted by then. You can book a place at the event [6], which takes place on 10th September at the Glazier’s Hall in London.
We’re continuing to monitor the situation very closely and are following the guidance issued by the Government, Department of Health and Social Care and Public Health England, adapting and adjusting as necessary.
We are committed, as always, to providing a no-nonsense, fast and friendly service.
If you have any questions, or if you would like to find out about our new collections and signatory services [4], please do not hesitate to contact us on freephone 0800 085 8796 (UK only) or contact@findersinternational.co.uk [7]