Advancing in our careers requires more than the skills that got us started, much like how the Israelites needed a new generation to enter the Promised Land. In my legal practice, I learned that true value lies beyond meticulous paperwork, leading to a transformation toward professional freedom. Are you ready to discover what will take you to your Promised Land?
How to Pay for Another Set of Hands Why you can’t afford NOT to hire When I was first hired in the boutique law firm I’ve called home for 30 years, John Sheppard, the senior partner of the firm was retiring, (his father and uncle founded the firm in 1924) leaving behind me and his […]
Six Villains Who Hinder Your Firm’s Progress We’re all working so hard these days. With new federal tax legislation being debated in Congress, and our clients’ portfolios skyrocketing, most of us aren’t lacking work. Yet, we wish we didn’t have to run so fast on that treadmill. Not only do we want great take-home, but […]
Is Your Practice a 24/7 Job or the Career You Imagined? When I graduated from law school, I imagined an almost utopic vision of what my law practice and life would look like. An endless supply of happy clients. Eager, helpful staff. Free time to enjoy my family and hobbies. Great money. When reading this, […]
Taking Care of Yourself in Stressful Times If you owned a million-dollar racehorse, you’d feed it the best diet, give it plenty of exercise, training, and ensure it had enough sleep. You’d take all necessary steps to protect a major income-generating investment. Aren’t YOU that million-dollar racehorse? I understand that your estate planning practice is going gangbusters due to proposed tax legislation and clients’ mortality concerns. You might be working sixty-hour […]
Automating Your Practice on the Cheap Gina, who’s been my logistics support team member for many years, has a daunting job. Not only does she keep the calendars straight for four attorneys, but she also schedules conference rooms, calls clients to remind them of their next-day appointments, prepares new files, inputs new matters into our […]
What Motivates Millennials and Gen X? Are Millennial and GenX individuals tough to manage? Is it fair to categorize anyone, as we’re all different, with different skills, propensities, and motivations? When I first arrived at my firm, I was the youngest attorney. Most of the support staff was older than me, composed mainly of Baby […]
Avoid My Firm’s Costly Marketing Mistakes How to spend marketing dollars? None of us have unlimited resources, yet so many choices. Social media? Google ads? I’m now writing “Social Media Advertising – What I Wish I Knew Before Engaging a Specialist” for publication in an upcoming issue of Trusts & Estates Magazine, where I’m on […]
Answering The Big Q: How Much Do You Charge? How does your firm answer a common question posed at the first call to your firm, “how much do you charge?” Of course, the answer depends upon several factors, including the time, expertise, and complexity necessary to satisfy a client’s estate planning goals. But saying so doesn’t often satisfy the inquiry. Instinctively you, or your staff who first interacts with the prospect, might mention your lowest fee, “Our revocable trust plans start at thirty-five hundred dollars…” so […]
The Best “Salesman” in Your Law Firm Intuitively has a Process How do you replicate it to multiply your results? Do you have a client engagement process, or does it flow however the meeting transpires? You might be excellent at engaging a client, but are your law partners and associates as successful? Is there a script your […]
