COVID-19 Legal Resources | Adrian Philip Thomas, P.A.

COVID-19 LEGAL RESOURCES PAGE

The following information is provided to assist members of the Florida legal community and others by providing links to various federal and state websites providing emergency updates, judicial guidelines, economic and technical resources, and general information about COVID-19.

Official Federal and State Government COVID-19 Information

Federal Government Response to Coronavirus, COVID-19. Links to official information about Government Response to Coronavirus, COVID-19.

Florida Executive Orders. All Executive Orders can be viewed by clicking this link to Florida Executive Orders, which will be updated as additional Orders are issued.

Florida Governor’s Office. The Office of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has issued a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document to help clarify Executive Order 20-91.

Florida Department of Health. Provides information about what you need to know now about COVID-19 in Florida.

Local and State Government. Local and state governments have issued “stay-at-home” orders throughout the state urging residents to stay home and can be viewed by clicking this link to Florida Politics.

Court-Specific COVID-19 Information

Florida Supreme Court Administrative Orders. Administrative Orders along with summaries explaining them can be found on the Supreme Court’s website.

Florida Supreme Court Emergency Website. The Supreme Court has also established an emergency web page where members can find a list of trial courts’ emergency directives and websites and information about court operations from Florida’s District Courts of Appeal.

Florida Clerks of Court. Stay up to date about COVID19 and Florida’s Clerks of Court with links to individual clerk’s offices, and frequently updated announcements and resources.

Nationwide Court Closures. A link to an interactive map of court closures and restrictions across the country:

Florida Bar and RPPTL Section Resources

Florida Bar. Get all the latest court and Florida Bar COVID-19 Announcements, member resources, and Bar event changes that may affect Florida Bar members, as well as general information for Floridians affected by the COVID-19 crisis.

RPPTL Section. The RPPTL Section’s special COVID-19 webpage includes a number of written pieces and videos that have been posted as resources for Section members.

Florida Bar Member Resources. The Florida Bar has built a comprehensive COVID-19 web page that offers the latest news, from Supreme Court orders, CLE, and practice management guides, to legal aid and consumer resources:

Complimentary Telehealth Subscription. In response to COVID-19, the Florida Bar Member Insurance Programs is offering members a complimentary subscription to telehealth services. Clinical guidelines based on CDC recommendations are helping telehealth physicians assess your symptoms and determine the appropriate next steps for every patient they see.

Non-Legal Information from Verifiable, Reliable Official Sources

World Health Organization (WHO) – Provides relevant health and medical focused information regarding the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Pandemic

Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Information on how to protect yourself and your clients and what to do if you get sick.

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS): The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued the following COVID-19 Long-Term Care Facility Guidance on April 2, 2020, as well as the following press release related to nursing home recommendations.

CDC Emergency Preparedness and Response: Taking Care of Your Emotional Health and Mental Health and Coping are helpful guides to dealing with the stress and anxiety caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic.

FEMA Fact Sheet. Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic: Private Nonprofit Organizations: This fact sheet provides guidance for determining the eligibility of PNP applicants and work performed in accordance with the COVID-19 emergency and major disaster declarations.

Economic Relief

Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”). The Senate and House passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”), commonly known as “Phase Three” of coronavirus economic relief, and President Trump signed the bill into law on March 27, 2020. The CARES Act provides much-needed stimulus to individuals, businesses, and hospitals in response to the economic distress caused by the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic. Link to the Summary of the CARES Act.

U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Loans. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is offering designated states and territories low-interest federal disaster loans for working capital to small businesses suffering substantial economic injury as a result of the Coronavirus/COVID-19. The Small Business Guidance and Loan Resources page provides helpful information about how businesses can obtain relief funding, including the Payroll Protection Program which operates as a grant provided the proper steps are followed in applying for and documenting the use of the funds.

SCORE Staying Afloat in the COVID-19. The following is a publication from SCORE entitled Staying Afloat in the COVID-19 World, which provides helpful business-focused resources and advice.

Technology Resources

Watch the Esquire Remote Court Reporter video on YouTube.

Watch the Veritext (which recently merged with and absorbed Orange Legal under the Veritext name) video on Remote Depositions on YouTube.

Remote Depositions - V1

Thomson Reuters- COVID-19 Resources. As Coronavirus/COVID-19 continues to spread globally, Thomson Reuters provides free resources, created by legal and tax experts, to assist in preparing and responding to COVID-19 and to support your business and to navigate this complicated and ever-changing environment:

Zoom. Some courts are turning to Zoom to conduct hearings. Following are some tips for using Zoom and other virtual meeting tools more productively in meetings and depositions. Zoom tutorials and the Zoom blog offer a wealth of assistance regarding all types of meetings. Although the specific details and commands may differ, the suggestions are in large part applicable to similar technologies. Zoom provides a security white paper that discusses all levels of security in detail.

YouTube: Zoom 101 Sign Up & Download Meeting Client, Join a Meeting, and Scheduling a Meeting.

Other video conferencing providers include GoToMeeting, Cisco’s WebEx, and Microsoft Teams.