In the light of the coronavirus pandemic, we are following Government advice and our staff are working from home. This is a very uncertain time and we want to do everything we can to ensure that we protect the health of our staff and clients, while maintaining services to you. We continue to monitor closely the situation and are following all relevant Government and WHO advice to ensure that we are ready to adapt to the latest guidance. Our systems have facilitated remote access for some years now and, therefore, we are able to continue to advise and assist without interruption. Please continue to contact us in the usual manner, i.e by phone or email.  

 

We have put together a set of frequently asked questions which may assist you with any queries you have. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us on 020 7404 3004.

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Are Imran Khan and Partners Solicitors open?

Although we are operating as usual, it is on a remote basis in order to comply with social distancing and, therefore, our offices are closed to the public at this time. Our office opening hours remain as before – 9am to 6pm.

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Are you receiving and sending letters?

We continue to monitor post being sent to our offices and we are trying to send out letters as best we can, but this has been severely disrupted. As a result, our preferred method of communication is by email or telephone.

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Can I have a meeting with my solicitor?

We are able to facilitate meetings by way of Zoom, Skype or a simple telephone conference, subject to your requirements. If an alternative method is preferable, please contact the person dealing with your matter for assistance.

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Do I need to attend court?

A significant number of Criminal court appearances are being postponed due to the public health emergency, however, some hearings are still going ahead. All directions hearings and some final hearings in civil and family cases are still taking place, but remotely and measures are in place to facilitate attendance. Attendance in person, however, is required for certain criminal hearings. It very much depends on your case and you should not presume that the hearing is cancelled. If you have an upcoming hearing, please contact the person dealing with your matter.

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Can you still represent me at Court?

Due to Government guidelines access to justice continues in Magistrates and Crown Courts on a limited and restricted basis via audio or video link. If you are required to attend court you should contact the office and speak with your solicitor. Currently the Magistrates Courts are only hearing the matters listed below:-

• Overnight custody cases from police stations (including arrest warrants and breach of bail cases)

• Productions from prisons

• Arrest warrants issued under the Extradition Act

• Sentencing cases

• Applications to extend custody time limits

• In hours and out of hours terrorism applications

• Civil applications relating to public health legislation, particularly under the Coronavirus (Emergency) Act 2020

• Warrants of further detention (police and HMRC)

• Closure order applications

• Urgent applications for DVPOs

• Urgent applications for rights of entry / search warrants

 

Crown Courts are dealing with a range of work, much of which is being done remotely. This includes:- 

• Sentencing hearings

• All urgent applications including applications for bail and applications to extend custody time limits (CTL)

• Pre-trial preparation hearings (PTPH)

• Further case management hearings

 

Is my case continuing to be prepared? What about the deadline?

We continue to prepare and work on matters and endeavour to comply with all court deadlines as best as we can. In that regard we may contact you by phone or video to obtain further instructions or arrange appointments.

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What if I am arrested?

In the event that you or anyone that you know has been arrested we can still be contacted by phone on our usual number during office hours and on the emergency number out of hours. The police are conducting interviews by phone and video depending on the seriousness of the matter. We may not be able to attend all the time and this will depend on the circumstances at the time and the facilities available. You will be able to consult in private on the phone before your interview takes place. You will have the same rights as if we were in the police station.

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What if I am detained at the police station?

Please continue to name us as your preferred representatives at the police station; we can assist by offering advice by way of a telephone conference or via video depending on the facilities at the police station.

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What about prison legal visits?

Currently all prison legal visits are suspended and this is under review by the Government. We are however arranging video visits with those establishments that have such facilities and we ask that you bear with us as this facility is extremely busy at the current time. Due to safety reasons and to protect both yourself and other parties we will continue to operate by this method for the foreseeable future.

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I want to apply for or have an urgent family application – can you help me?

If you wish to apply for an injunction to protect you from a violent partner/ex-partner or if Social Services are applying to remove your children from your care, please contact us urgently. The courts are dealing with these matters remotely by way of telephone and video hearings and we have ample experience of representing clients in this way. If your ex-partner has terminated or restricted contact with your children as a result of the Covid-19 crisis, please contact us in order to discuss your legal remedies.

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I have a non-urgent family query– are you still able to assist?

We continue to advise and assist in divorce, financial and other non-urgent matters, please telephone us to discuss any of these matters. We can arrange a remote meeting via Zoom.

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Is my data protected whilst working from home?

Organisational structures and systems have been put in place to ensure we continue to protect your personal information whilst working from home.

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Is service still by way of post in civil matters?

Post continues to be the method of service in these matters. We are not accepting service by way of email, however, we may be willing to accept service in particular circumstances. Please contact the relevant individual dealing with the matter to discuss this.

 

We thank you for your understanding and we pass on our very best wishes to everyone that we work with.​