12/17/2020
Dear Friends,
As we bring 2020 to a close, we look forward to a new year with hope and optimism. We wanted to send you our annual holiday letter and let you know that we miss seeing you in person. We also wanted to send our sincere thanks and appreciation to all our friends and clients.
As you may know, in March our office stopped in-office meetings to protect our clients from the spread of COVID-19. Although the Coronavirus has presented its share of challenges, it has also accelerated the rollout of several systems in our firm which will help us better serve our clients.
In 2020, The Law Offices of Furutani & Merkel launched its page. Please go to Facebook and search “Furutani and Merkel” to find our page. This page provides articles and information that relate to Worker’s Compensation. We will post valuable information and provide updates to the law that may impact our clients.
In addition to our page, our office has also created a Twitter feed. In 2021, our firm will be Tweeting information to our clients. Please follow “The Law Offices of Furutani & Merkel@LawMerkel” on your Twitter account to receive our firm’s Tweets, which will also provide valuable information regarding our firm, updates regarding the workers’ compensation law, and tips for maximizing your workers’ compensation benefits.
Finally, at end of 2020, we rolled out a new case management software. What does this mean for our clients? In 2021, we can automate systems and create more efficiency than ever before. In 2021, we anticipate being able to send text messages with reminders for appointments. In addition, our new firm software will allow us to create client portals. Once this feature is rolled out, our clients will have the ability to collaborate with their paralegals and attorneys and share documents securely through the portal.
Although the coronavirus has changed how we conduct business, we are working harder than ever for our clients. We now attend hearings and other legal proceedings via Google Meet. Like our office, the court system has also adapted to the challenges presented by the pandemic, so we can continue to fight for your legal rights.
Although we are not currently meeting our clients in the office, we have several options if you desire a virtual face-to-face meeting. Our office uses Mitel, Zoom, and Facetime to conduct virtual meetings. Please do not hesitate to request a virtual meeting for your next appointment.
We are also expecting positive state legislative changes to the Workers’ Compensation law for injured workers in 2021.
We wish you happy holidays and a prosperous 2021! We look forward to being able to see all of you again next year and please be safe.
All the best,
Barb, Jody, Penny, Sam, Jolien, Valincia, and Paola
