Legal services essential under statewide Safer at Home order.

Byline: Michaela Paukner, mpaukner@wislawjournal.com

Legal services are defined as essential businesses and operations under Gov. Tony Evers' Safer at Home order issued on Tuesday.

The order closes businesses defined as nonessential, forbids gatherings of any size and places restrictions on travel across Wisconsin from 8 a.m. on Wednesday through April 24in an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Evers' order has various exceptions, including for legal services. Although legal services can continue during the statewide ban, the ordersays those providing such servicesshould use technology to avoid meeting in person to the greatest extent possible and still practice social distancing.

The decision to definelegal services as essential comes after Jill Kastner, president of the State Bar of Wisconsin,sent Evers a letter advocating for the need to allow attorneys to work during a potential shelter-in-place order.

"The Governor recognized the vital role attorneys play at this time...