Law firm Wolferstans Solicitors has unlocked its three Plymouth offices and is ready for a bounce back in business after seeing new work halved during the coronavirus pandemic lockdown.
The practice was able to operate throughout because lawyers are classed as key workers for much of their work.
But the company had to send all but four of its 186 staff to work from home. The quartet were needed in the offices for essential functions, such as clients who needed to sign a document with witnesses, that could not be done remotely.
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But the law firm having already moved to cloud-based system, being paper-light since 2015 and with some staff already working from home on selected days, moving people out of office to continue working was easily achievable.
Wolferstans also had to start furloughing staff, and at the maximum 71 people were being paid not to work under the Government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS).
But as the economy slowly unlocks, Wolferstans has bee bringing these employees back. From #IamOpen day on June 15, when many non-essential businesses were allowed to restart trading, the law firm opened its offices in North Hill, Plympton and Plymstock more fully, bringing back reception and admin staff.
Those offices will, however, have safety measures in place, with social distancing and meetings kept to 15 minutes, and perspex screens and hand sanitiser stations installed.
Alisa Willows, managing partner, said staff would continue to work from home, and longer meetings would be done electronically, but the offices would be available for work that can’t be done any other way.
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And there is plenty of work to do. Throughout the lockdown the law firm continued to be busy with an increase in wills and probate work, and a rise in demand for the employment law team with inquiries about furloughing staff under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, redundancies and restructuring.
“We are starting to see inquiries about redundancies and how people might deal with coming out of the furlough scheme,” Ms Willows said. “There has also been a flurry of conveyancing (work) since estate agents reopened. But we don’t know if it is just pent-up demand or if it will continue.
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“There is always that fear that if people start losing jobs or are nervous it will affect the property market. But it is busy at the moment.”
Ms Willows stressed that Wolferstans was “in a good position” coming out of lockdown. She said the company’s financial year ended on March 31 with results “the best ever” for the seventh year in a row.
But she said new instructions were “50% down” in April and May, the height of the lockdown, though there has been an upturn since.
That will filter through to the law firm’s takings in “six to 18 months” when bills would have been paid.
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Ms Willows said another the challenge will be how to continue to support clients, particularly vulnerable ones, while restrictions are in place.
But she stressed: “We are coping and supporting people: clients and employees. But there will be issues further down the line. This will have a longer tail than people thought.”