Coronavirus Estate Planning Impact

Coronavirus Update – June 1, 2021

Reopening the County went into effect Friday, May 28^th

Altman & Associates has been following the guidance of the CDC, the State of Maryland, and the County Council of Montgomery County. As of June 1, 2021, over 50% of county residents have been fully vaccinated and capacity and distancing restrictions for indoor and outdoor businesses and venues have been lifted.

95% of the employees at Altman & Associates are vaccinated. Going forward, if you are fully vaccinated, we will no longer require that a mask be worn inside our office, nor will your temperature be taken. It is your decision whether you wish to wear a mask, and should you not have one and wish for one, please ask for a mask at our front desk. If you are uncomfortable with us not wearing masks, at your confirmation appointment, please tell us and we will wear one to accommodate your meeting. This will remain in effect, until there is a change in guidelines.

One Central Plaza, Building Management requires that upon entry to the building a mask must be worn.

Should you not be vaccinated, we will take your temperature and ask that you wear a mask and social distance.

Hand sanitizers will remain throughout the office and so will the plexiglass shield guards. We will continue with our cleaning protocols and offer zoom client meetings. However, the Altman Team all agrees that it is nice to meet all our clients and prospects in person, so we have a more meaningful discussion and engagement.

If you have questions, please call 301-468-3220 and ask to speak to Gary.

We wish everyone an enjoyable, anxiety free summer and look forward to seeing you.

Dear Friends,

The past year has been a stressful time for all, particularly for those whose health has been impacted by COVID-19. While we’ve all adapted to a certain degree, the uncertainty is still unsettling. Many businesses remain closed, schools are operating via online platforms, and traveling remains challenging, if not impossible.

I have lost two family members during the pandemic. Not being able to gather as we normally do – whether to mourn the passing of a loved one, celebrate a marriage, or simply commiserate with friends, has taken a toll. Now, more than ever, it is important for us all to employ our empathy, kindness, sympathy, patience, and support for one another. We must also believe that things will get better.

During this time, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support and let you know that we remain dedicated to serving your estate planning needs. Our team has stepped up to handle the many challenges brought forth by the pandemic. We have adjusted our protocols and taken precautionary measures to ensure we can continue serving you safely and effectively (details below).

We hope that by providing you with this information, it will ease your concerns about coming to our office. As you plan for your appointment, please let us know if we address any specific questions or concerns you may have. The world has changed, but one thing remains the same: our commitment to your success and well being. Please stay safe and healthy. We will see you soon!

Gary

Altman & Associates has been working hard to ensure the safety of our clients

Clients are emailed a confirmation of their appointment prior to arriving. We will confirm through the phone, if someone has been in contact with someone with Covid or if they are feeling ill to please reschedule. Please arrive on time for your appointment so we can limit the number of people in our lobby.
We ask all visitors to practice social distancing as our employees are required to do. When you arrive for your appointment, you will find the front entrance door open. Our staff will screen you and take your temperature. If someone has a temperature over 100 degrees they will be asked to reschedule.
Everyone entering our office must wear a face mask to include all employees. Masks and gloves are available for clients and will be offered upon arrival if you need one.
The doors to the office and to the conference rooms are all open to limit your contact with surfaces. Hand sanitizer stations are scattered throughout the office and we will require that you use hand sanitizer or wash your hands upon entering the office.
Plexiglass shield guards have been installed at the front reception desk as well as in the conference rooms. The plexiglass shield installed down the center of the conference room table allows for space with a tray for the transfer of documents. Gary and employees will sit on one side of the divider while clients are on the other side. During notarizations on premises we practice social distancing and sanitation.
We are sanitizing the bathroom keys after every use, and only new pens will be available for signings and we ask that you take the Altman pen with you.
We are allowing some extra time between appointments to properly sanitize the room. All high touch areas will be regularly disinfected throughout the day.
Every evening, the office is cleaned and sanitized by the office cleaning crew. On weekends we have taken extra precautions to hire a sanitizing team to come in and clean extensively in the high occupation areas.
All of our staff are able to work remotely and are on a flexible schedule during office hours as to limit exposure.
We are offering clients remote meetings through zoom and teleconferencing. You will be asked which you prefer upon the scheduling of your appointment. For now, all in-office appointments have been limited to our main office in Rockville.
We offer drive by signings in which we bring a table, gloves and masks down to your vehicle in the garage. Papers are passed through the vehicle windows. Once signing is done, we take the documents to the office and mail you your copies.
For video-conference signings, documents will be mailed or hand-delivered a day or two in advance with instructions that indicate where to sign. We will log into the video conference and watch the signing. Documents are to be returned to us, we sign and then mail them back to you.

If you have any questions, please feel free to call our office at (301) 468-3220.

Emergency Form

As a courtesy, we’ve created an emergency form that everyone 18 years and older should complete and keep on hand in the event of a health emergency and/or hospitalization. Download the fillable PDF form below, complete it, then save or print for your records.

Emergency Health Record Form