 Prior to COVID when all 70 Smokeballers worked in the office together, organising the social activities was straight forward. As a social bunch something as simple as Friday beer and pizza, or a monthly birthday cake and song went down well. Though in March, when we suddenly all started working from home, our humble social calendar simply didn’t work. Virtual social drinks were a flop, and singing happy birthday online was plain awkward. So, with much trial and error, here are my tips:
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 When we launched our suite of communication and collaboration tools in Smokeball last year, we worried we were too far ahead of the curve: that small law firms would fail to embrace messaging each other internally, sharing documents with each other, and also messaging their clients and third parties from our software. The “chat” look and feel, while familiar, was unlike anything else available to small law firms, especially when it was embedded in directly the case management software they use to run their practice.
 With face-to-face meetings often replaced with video conferencing right now, we wanted to provide Smokeball users with a seamless way to incorporate video into their workflow. In a recent update, we’ve made client and co-worker communication even more effective by integrating it with the most popular video chat application on the market: Zoom.
 Legal and conveyancing businesses are sacrificing a lot of control as their employees work from home in light of Covid-19. Lawyers and conveyancers are paradoxically more autonomous in staying on top of their daily tasks while relying more on each other to make sure nothing falls between the cracks.
 Once legal and conveyancing businesses are set up to work remotely with communication and practice management software, their next thought should be how to make sure everyone in the firm is remaining productive and accountable.
 The new “Joint Practice Direction 2 of 2020 - Special Measures in Response to COVID-19” was issued by the Family Law Courts on 31 March 2020 in order to help combat the daily practical challenges now faced by Family Law practitioners as well as prioritise the health and safety of the wider community, Judges and Court staff.
 There are myriad chat apps on the market. Alternatives to Slack and Microsoft Teams include Google Hangouts Chat, Mattermost, and Flock. But, none unfortunately are truly free. Sure, some remote teams are relying on iMessage and SMS texts in a pinch, but for a decentralised office, consistent and secure communication is a must.
 Estate Planning is the bread and butter of many small law firms. Wills, powers of attorney, guardianships and medical directives are important documents that require proper execution. Without the necessary witnessing and execution requirements met, it is easy to contest these documents when they come into effect.
With many small law firms transitioning to work from home and social distancing being enforced, how can lawyers make sure that Wills are witnessed correctly?  This guide will cover the technology you’ll need in order to work remotely no matter the technology you’re using. It includes tips on tools to work better together when you’re not in the same office, as well as guidance for where to find help.
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