WEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - As more and more people are put out of work due to restrictions related to the coronavirus, a South Florida law firm has found a way to keep their staff working while helping those in need.
Attorney Patrick Cordero said clients are nervous at times like these when you run a large family law and bankruptcy law firm.
“We probably see about 150 people a day, so we have a large volume, so we have a large staff, large volume,” said Cordero.
Miriam Marenco, a senior litigating attorney at the West Miami-Dade firm, said that with more and more people out of work, they are getting calls from potential new clients every day.
“The emails and phone calls have not stopped,” she said.
For Cordero, the question was how to keep his staff working while making it safe for them and his clients from the coronavirus.
“What we decided to do was to do a drive-thru,” he said.
Starting Sunday, staff armed with sanitizers, gloves and masks are meeting clients in a drive-thru line in the parking lot. People can drop off paperwork and sign documents without even getting out of their cars.
“If it’s not necessary for them to come up, we’re not having them come up. We’re trying to resolve everything out here as quickly as possible,” said Marenco.
Even if they have to meet with clients in person, there is an isolation area in the law firm, located away from other staff.
Either way, by staying open, the staff said, they are helping clients deal with a very stressful time.
“Try to answer quick questions for them, to ease their mind,” said Marenco. “A lot of people right now are feeling very anxious. They don’t know what to do, what to expect.”
For the most part, courts are closed, but Cordero hopes his firm will be ready to hit the ground running when they open again.
“We have a skeleton crew that basically takes care of the necessities for now, but by the time this ordeal ends, we’ll be prepared for the big shift,” he said.
His staff said they are just thankful they still have jobs and that they can help people.
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