We at Hunt Solicitors are, like all other businesses, doing our best to manage our way through these unprecedented times. All areas of our legal practice are affected and we want to provide this brief note to assist clients in particular as to where matters stand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Courts are not processing any new cases and are only dealing with emergency applications. Even with urgent hearings that do proceed in almost all cases clients will be asked not attend court. No specific timescale has been put on these measures but if you are dealing with us on matters which require court hearings to progress unfortunately there will be no movement on these in the immediate future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We anticipate that the Legal Services Agency who \nmanage Legal Aid in Northern Ireland will face slower than usual \nprocessing times as they are faced with staff shortages. They are likely\n to focus their resources on emergency applications\n and as such all other cases can expect a backlog. If your matter with \nus is waiting for legal aid being granted to proceed we would ask that \nyou bear this in mind in terms of anticipated timescales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Our conveyancing practice expects to continue \nprocessing cases up the point at which a contract would ordinarily be \nsigned. There are likely only very exceptional circumstances in which it\n will be advisable to go ahead and enter into\n contract to buy or sell a property in the current crisis environment. \nEven then clients should bear in mind that regardless of legal \narrangements the government\u2019s recent legislation may in practical terms \nmake it impossible to move house e.g if \u201clockdown\u201d\n arrangements would prohibit you doing so. Each case will have to be \nlooked at on its merits and if you are buying with a mortgage the lender\n involved will also have to be happy to proceed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At this time our offices are closed to clients. \nWe are retaining a skeleton staff to keep matters moving as far as \npossible. As we will have nowhere near our usual staffing levels to deal\n with enquiries, we would ask all clients to be\n patient with us while we work through this difficult time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We would ask clients to note the following information about contact arrangements:<\/p>\n\n\n\n