The current situation is not only difficult for those that have been personally affected by Coronavirus but also by those who are trying to work, run a business or look after their children at home. Whatever your situation we wish you all well and hope you are keeping safe.
At the moment the government is making daily announcements which can make it difficult to follow the changing situation. PainSmith therefore wish to ensure that all clients are as up to date as possible regarding legal proceedings and the helpline over the next few months.
During the current uncertain times, PainSmith will continue to operate as far as possible; including operation of the helpline. Many of you will no doubt have read that the government intends to prevent possession claims being issued for at least the next three months.
This means that in respect of existing claims, PainSmith believes many will be significantly delayed and those with hearings currently fixed may find these are cancelled at short notice. Our expectation is that any claims with hearings adjourned or not yet listed are unlikely to be listed prior to June 2020. We also anticipate that we will not be able to obtain substantive updates from the Courts during this period.
For those of you who have not yet served notices or have notices which have not expired it looks unlikely that you will be able to issue your claim within the next 3 months. This period may be extended further. Even thereafter new requirements may be imposed by the government. Whilst it would appear that it may be possible to still serve notices there will be no method of enforcing them and tenants are likely to be advised by local authorities and other legal advisers to remain in their current rental property.
We appreciate that for many of you this will come as very unwelcome news. But at the moment all we can do is await the details of the government’s proposed legislation. However, we also wanted to let you know our thoughts based upon current indications and to reassure you that PainSmith will continue to do all it can to help our clients in a proactive way.
As ever we are happy to try and answer any queries or questions that may arise. Initially we suggest you contact the fee earner acting on your matter; telephone the helpline if you are a member; or contact PainSmith through our general office telephone number. We will also continue to post regular Blogs as soon as new information is available.
Disclaimer
The contents of this blog post is not legal advice and is provided for general information purposes only. If legal advice is needed readers should contact a solicitor. No responsibility for any information contained within this post is accepted and PainSmith solicitors accepts no liability in respect of the contents or for action taken based on this post.
Published 23 March 2020
