The road so far
Edward Young Limited closed the doors to its office a few days before the lockdown. We did this with the safety of our clients and colleagues in mind.
During that time, our lines remained open during the usual working hours and our emails were monitored and answered.
Where possible, emergency notarisations and legalisations were carried out.
We maintained our usual high standards of work, by adapting our practices.Going forward
Edward Young Limited remains committed to the safety and well being our clients and team. With this in mind, we have adapted some work practices and have put in place policies on meetings and welcoming clients into our offices.
We are working to monitor the impact and spread of the virus and have put reasonable adaptations in place. It is worth stressing: it is everyone’s responsibility to maintain healthy personal habits that help us control the spread of the virus.
The firm has undertaken the following preparations and procedures to ensure we can all start to move forward:
Remote services
Where possible, we ask our clients –current and prospective- to use the remote work facilities. Avoid unnecessary trips to our office to drop off or collect documents. Documents you are not required to sign such as degree certificates, police certificates and vital certificates can easily be dealt with remotely. Documents such as birth, marriage and death certificates are also best dealt with this way.
Simply complete the order form and follow the instructions therein. Our invoices are usually sent by email for online payment with your debit/ credit card.
Corporate clients should email the team with their query.
As before, please contact us by email with any queries.
Notarisations of signatures in the presence of the notary
There may be times when this is not possible. This is generally when you are you are required to sign a document in the presence of the notary.
For these matters, an appointment is required. We regret but we will not be able to provide you with assistance from the notary unless you have pre-booked an appointment.
The offices will reopen in very much the same schedule as before the outbreak with appointments early in the morning being provided. However, we will be operating a reduced number of appointments with the aim of avoiding waiting times in the premises to allow us time to carry out enhanced hygiene procedures.
When you need to attend our office, we ask that you observe the following precautions:
- We are avoiding handshakes (please do not take offence)
- Hand sanitizers are available for use by staff and visitors
- A bathroom is available right beside our entrance with washroom facilities for hand washing. Please use this before your scheduled appointment.
- Please do not bring with you other persons who are not required to sign. If you are a parent or carer and have to bring children along, please let us know before attending. You are responsible for enforcing social distancing in these cases.
- GENERAL PUBLIC HEALTH ADVICE:
- Public Health England (PHE) recommends that the following general precautions are taken to help prevent people from catching and spreading COVID-19:
- cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze.
- put used tissues in the bin straight away
- try to avoid close contact with people who are unwell
- clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces
We maintain a rigorous schedule of disinfection in the office- which is why we will reduce the number of appointments available during the day.
We have installed Perspex screens in our office. These are not only a protective barrier but also a clear reminder to maintain social distancing.
Finally, if you feel unwell, or if you have been asked to self isolate, we ask that you do not attend the office whether or not you have an appointment. We will prioritise an appointment for you when you can safely attend.
We understand that these are a great deal of amendments to the social conventions and norms, but it seems that for the time being, these will be the new normal.
Legalisation Time Frames:
Our dedicated page has all the information you need on time frames and requirements at this time.