Part of working “On The Business” is analyzing your annual revenue streams. Now, the smart attorney not only has multiple revenue streams, but is also constantly looking for ways to add to those streams and build what we call “Continuity Revenue.”

To do this, you’ll need to first consider where your existing revenue comes from. So, let’s start with the obvious:

Existing clients generate a good portion of your revenue and you can anticipate a certain percentage coming from ancillary business and new clients each year as well.

In addition, you most likely receive a decent amount of revenue from trust administration.

Now, if you’ve followed the strategies we mentioned in the Lifetime Communication System (link to system #5 post), then you can probably also count on that trust administration income continuing from generation to generation. This is one of the benefits of creating a multi-generational relationship – you don’t have to worry about losing your clients to another firm when the assets pass from one generation to another.

So far, so good. But you could have more…

Perhaps the most overlooked opportunity for building a continuity revenue stream is creating annual programs that generate reliable annual fees.

A “Wealthcare Maintenance Program” or “Client Care Program” for example, would provide clients with a certain package of services for a fee, in the range of $300 to $500 per year.

If you have 1000 clients, that could generate $300,000 to $500,000 every year on January 1st. Wouldn’t that be a wonderful way to start out your year?

This “package” could provide them with free amendments throughout the year, free updates on law changes and a Docubank card that gives them the ability to electronically retrieve medical records and other important documents when they need them.

You could also include several educational seminars on topics of interest, such as funeral planning and identity theft, topics that ideally relate to new services your firm offers. In addition, seminars on non-estate planning issues put on by local experts provide your clients and prospects with valuable information while giving you an opportunity to stay in front of your public.

What kind of non-estate planning seminars could you do? How about a class on getting organized, creating a family history scrapbook or even a cooking school demonstration? The list is virtually endless.

The whole idea is to provide value. Do that, and you’ll give your clients a reason to love the relationship they have with your firm.

Building continuity revenue gives you a semi-passive income that continues from year to year, increasing your bottom line and fostering quality relationships with your clients in the process, two key components to building a successful law firm.

Sanford M. Fisch
CEO & Co-Founder
American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.
(858) 453-2128
www.aaepa.com

We talk quite a bit about systems here at the Academy… systems that manage your workflow, your finances and your marketing campaigns, just to name a few.

And while those systems will certainly continue to be the key to your success, there is another piece to that puzzle that’s equally as important … a piece that can give you huge returns on your investment if managed properly.

I’m talking of course, about your staff.

Now, before you assume that your staff is “fine,” I want to urge you to take another look. And here’s why:

Although we’re exceptional at drafting documents and adapting to new legal trends, it’s not unusual to find attorneys who are “lacking” in the area of human resource management. In fact, many attorneys avoid that particular aspect of law firm management as much as possible, assuming that if their employees aren’t complaining, they must then be happy.

But the truth is, you set the tone for how your employees will experience your firm, so if you don’t put an emphasis on things like performance, teamwork and personal growth, your employees won’t either.

And an uninspired staff means an unproductive firm.

Fortunately, there are a number of ways to not only keep your staff on track but also give them the feedback and support they need to excel:

Communication

First and foremost, you need to have an open door policy with your employees. Performance reviews should be a regular event to be sure, but your internal communication strategy needs to go much deeper than that.

In order for your employees to get behind your Big Picture, they have to know what it is. Just as the football team understands the play they’re being asked to run, your employees must understand the strategies and policies you’ve implemented in your firm.

That means regular staff meetings where you discuss current workflow as well as overall objectives. Brainstorming sessions that allow your employees to express their ideas and be a part of your creative vision. And last but not least, the ability to discuss issues with you on a regular schedule, instead of being left to just handle things on their own because you don’t have the time to deal with such matters.

A Place for Everyone and Everyone in Their Place

The idea that every employee should be appropriately “matched” to their job is a core strategy at the Academy and one you should implement in your firm as well.

What this means is that your employees have the position they have because it’s the best match to their skills and talents, not simply because it happened to be the job they applied for when they joined your firm.

After all, building a winning team isn’t just about selecting the right people – it’s about getting the most out of the people you select. Think of it as not only putting the right people on the right bus, but also getting them into the right seats.

Someone who is creatively inclined for example might do much better as your marketing assistant than as your drafting paralegal. Likewise, if you’ve got a filing clerk who’s known for being the perkiest person in the office, it might not be a bad idea to have that person greeting your clients when they come through the door.

This strategy accomplishes two things: first, you get the “best” that your employees have to offer, an obvious advantage to your firm. But your employees also get the chance to do a job they truly enjoy, a benefit that will increase loyalty and cut down on turnover.

Systems, Systems, Systems

One of the best ways to de-stress your staff is to give them clear instructions for what you want done. And this is where those systems we love so much come in handy.

Having comprehensive systems in place that not only describe their responsibilities but also detail how to accomplish their goals, makes doing their job that much easier.

It also greatly improves their chances of success.

To get the most from these systems, give your employees the opportunity to take part in their development… figure out the best way to do the things that need to be done and then document that process in your operations manual.

Show A Little Love

Showing your appreciation can range from a simple “nice job” to a bonus at the end of the year for exceeding expectations. But don’t forget all those little extras in between.

Create challenges and goals throughout the year that once achieved, can be formally acknowledged. A production goal for example or an educational milestone… these events are great fillers to add to your firm’s newsletter and should also be rewarded internally in some way. Present them with a certificate for example, or take them out to lunch. Or if you really want to earn some boss kudos, give them a free half-day off to use at their discretion.

Of course, these ideas are just the tip of the iceberg. You can provide employee discounts, offer extra days off around holidays or create an annual company picnic where your staff gets to kick back and enjoy themselves on the company dime.

The point is to create incentives that go beyond their paycheck. Don’t ask “why should they work for my firm”… Instead ask, “why should they love to work for my firm.”

The bottom line is that the more you encourage your employees to be a part of your vision, the more they’ll take that vision, and your success, to heart.

Robert Armstrong
President & Co-Founder
American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.
(858) 453-2128
www.aaepa.com

For your vision to truly take shape, you need to find a way to communicate them to the rest of the world – staff, clients and prospects included.

Now, communicating with your staff can be as simple as holding regular meetings to be sure you’re all on track…

But what about those clients and prospects? How do you stay in front of them year round?

Fortunately, there are a number of ways to keep your clients and prospects feeling connected and informed. Let’s take a look at some of the more common ways here:

• Seminars – Hosting seminars on various timely topics accomplishes a couple of things: first, it gives you an easy way to touch base with your clients and prospects. The second thing it does is allow you the opportunity to convert those prospects into clients. Teach them something new, let them realize the importance of proactive planning and you’ll have yourself a new client. You can also use these seminars to provide new services to existing clients, turning a single event into a multi-faceted marketing tool.

• Newsletters – You should also have a law firm newsletter that is sent out at least 4 times a year, although we recommend sending it out monthly. Your newsletter can include all sorts of information, from articles on new legal developments and estate planning challenges to announcements of new staff members and upcoming events. You should also include non-legal events such as birthdays and anniversaries, birth announcements, hiring news and interesting bits of trivia.Make your newsletter interesting, eye-catching and informative and you’ll find that your clients and prospects look forward to receiving it throughout the year.

• Client Review Meetings – Like the seminars we mentioned above, client review meetings are a perfect opportunity to touch base with your clients and perhaps offer additional services as well. These review meetings give you the chance to go over your clients’ needs and make note of any changes that may have occurred over the last year.

• Client Appreciation Events – Some law firms serve wine and cheese while others opt for an ice cream social… whatever your preference, client appreciation events create an informal, engaging opportunity for you and your clients to get reacquainted.

• Client Advisory Board Meetings – When was the last time you asked your clients for feedback? Client Advisory board meetings are a great way to do just that. Invite your clients to become part of your “Advisory Board” and provide your firm with a client-perspective report card on a regular basis.

• E-Alerts –  Of course, we can’t forget about your referral sources and e-alerts offer a unique and effective way to stay in touch with those wonderful people who send business your way. These mini-electronic newsletters give you an excellent venue to notify your referrals of upcoming deadlines, developments in the law, events and other newsworthy stories that relate to their industry or niche. Providing your referral sources with this kind of useful information is the perfect way to strengthen bonds and remind them of the services you can provide to their clients.

• And more! – All of the above suggestions should be in addition to your regular correspondence, such as birthday cards, emails, letters, announcements and the like. Adding these additional communication methods to your standard correspondence schedule ensures that you touch base with your clients, your prospects and your referrals on a regular basis throughout the year.

Now, you’ll notice that many of these interactions take place via electronic delivery, so if you’re not already collecting email addresses from your clients and prospects, now is the time to start.

Put them into whatever database management software you use or, as an alternative, sign up for one of the many online mailing management services and do your electronic mailings from there. You should be able to designate separate mailing lists – one for clients and one for prospects – allowing you to fine tune your communications to each group.

Now, don’t limit yourself to just one or two methods. Instead, mix and match these ideas to come up with a well-rounded communication system that allows you to touch base with your client AT LEAST 12 times each year.

So, why so much emphasis on communication?

Our philosophy is to create relationships with clients, prospects and referrals that keep them from leaving the fold. To quote marketing guru Dan Kennedy, you should “build your herd and then build an iron fence around them” to keep your clients in and your competition out. A good communication strategy is the perfect way to do just that.

A solid communication system can also help build multi-generational relationships with your clients – that is, relationships that last through multiple generations of their family – by providing them with a Transformational Experience…

A “WOW” moment that puts your firm into the enviable category of being a trusted advisor rather than a commodity vendor.

And that’s exactly the kind of client relationship you want… that’s the kind of relationship that fosters loyalty, not to mention higher referrals. And when you have a loyal client, you have a client for life.

Sanford M. Fisch
CEO & Co-Founder
American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.
(858) 453-2128
www.aaepa.com

Washington, D.C., joins the list of jurisdictions offering marriage to same-sex couples. In May 2004, Massachusetts became the first state to allow same-sex couples to marry.  Since then, same-sex marriage has been legalized in Connecticut, Iowa, New Hampshire, Vermont, and now the District of Columbia.  California allowed marriages for a brief period until a voter initiative denied the right.  Additionally, California, New Jersey, and other states allow couples to enter “Domestic Partnerships” or “Civil Unions” with rights similar to that of marriage.

While many states offer same-sex couples the right to marry or similar arrangements, they are still not recognized for federal law purposes because of the Defense of Marriage Act.  Thus, there is a differential in treatment of same-sex couples that may be negative in some ways and positive in others.  For example, a same-sex couple who are married in Massachusetts cannot qualify for the marital deduction at the death of the first spouse.  In fact, they are considered unrelated parties under federal law.  That’s the downside.

The upside is that they can enter into transactions that would be prohibited to related parties under federal law.  For example, if one spouse had a loss in an investment and wanted to harvest the loss while retaining the asset, they could sell the asset to the other partner without falling prey to the related party rules.  Similarly, the wealthier spouse could enter into a grantor retained income trust (“GRIT”), which is not allowed for “members of the family” under federal law.

In dealing with same-sex couple clients, remember to step back and look at the situation carefully.  There are opportunities, as well as hurdles.  Can you think of any unique opportunities or hurdles for same-sex couples in your state?

Steve Hartnett, J.D., LL.M.
Associate Director of Education
American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.
(858) 453-2128
www.aaepa.com

Ever wondered why the images you so painstakingly pirated downloaded from the web for your newsletter end up printing so fuzzy when they were so sharp onscreen?

It’s a matter of resolution.

Not one of those resolutions you vow to follow each new year, but image resolution.

Think of every picture as a tightly packed bunch of dots, so tiny and in such close proximity as to appear seamless. On your monitor in takes 72 of these pixels (that’s what your monitor’s dots are called) to fill a linear inch. We will then say that your onscreen pictures display a resolution of 72 pixels per inch (ppi).

Printed materials, on the other hand, generally require more, smaller dots to fill the same area. On average, every linear inch will contain 300 dots, which translates to your images having a resolution of 300 dots per inch (dpi).

So, does this mean you will never be able to use web images (72ppi) for print (300dpi)? Not necessarily.

Say that you need to print a 7″ x 5″ picture, and you found a beautiful free pic online that you want to use. You think “72ppi, darn, there goes another good resolution,” but then discover that the image you downloaded is 2100px wide by 1500px tall.

That would be a 29″ x 21″ picture on your screen (2100/72 and 1500/72), so you would fire up PhotoShop and resize it to 7″ x 5″, print it, and start cussing because you just wasted a couple of dollars’ worth of that incredibly expensive printer ink.

That happened because by resizing you threw away a great number of perfectly good pixels, and are left with a 7″ x 5″ 72 ppi image, 504px x 360px.

What you need to do, instead, is resample, that is change the image’s resolution instead of its size.

So your resampled image will still be 2100px x 1500px, but, at a resolution of 300dpi (instead of 72), its size will be the 7″ x 5″ you needed (2100/300 x 1500/300).

Ok, can you take the image you ruined earlier and resample it to 300dpi? Well, you could, but you have only 504 pixels left to work with, so your image would be only just over 1.5″ wide (504/300).

Then why not resize it back to 2100 x 1500? Mostly because if you could create dots from nothing, you would dedicate your creative talent to producing money, instead. Think about it, if you have only $500, can you buy that $2100 sweet gadget you crave so? Whipping out your credit card is cheating and we won’t consider it.

In conclusion, when you provide images for printing, multiply the desired size by 300. That is the minimum dimension in pixels your picture needs to be.

Example: you need to print a 7″ long image. Your picture will need to be 7×300 = 2100px long.

Example 2: you have an 800 x 600 image you want to use for a brochure; what’s the maximum size you can print it? 800/300 x 600/300 = 2.67″ x 2″

Conversely, if you took a megapixel picture with your state-of-the-art digital camera and you need to use it for a webpage, resize it (throw away the extra dots) to fit within your webpage’s dimension and not require several seconds (or minutes!) to load.

Powers of Attorney can be wonderfully flexible documents. They allow the principal to appoint an agent to do all the things that the principal could do. That seems pretty straightforward.  However, it is significantly more complicated than it appears.

State laws vary regarding how to interpret silence in a POA on various issues. For example, if the POA simply states that the agent has general authority to do anything that the principal could do, many states find that does not authorize gifting. So, you may think you have an all purpose POA, but, if it does not set out the power of the agent in sufficient detail, you may find the POA is not as flexible as you may have thought.  Of course, gifting can be very powerful in estate and gift tax planning and Medicaid planning. Thus, a sufficiently detailed POA can provide additional planning opportunities for the principal’s benefit.

If a POA is not well drafted, other problems may arise. For example, a generic power to gift to anyone would cause tax problems for the agent, as holder of the power. If the agent has a power to gift for his/her own benefit, they have a taxable general power of appointment, even if they never exercise that power. As a result, all of the principal’s assets subject to the power could be included in the agent’s estate for estate tax purposes.  This result can be avoided by either i) limiting the agent’s power to gift to himself or herself to the amount which may lapse back under IRC section 2514(e) (the greater of $5,000 or 5% of the assets), or ii) having the power to gift to the agent be exercisable only by a disinterested third party.

Read more about powers of attorney and their pitfalls here.  http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1545332

The POA used by members of the American Academy addresses these and many other potential problems. Have you come across powers of attorney with these or other hidden traps?

Steve Hartnett, J.D., LL.M.
Associate Director of Education
American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.
(858) 453-2128
www.aaepa.com

I was actually thinking about calling this a “blog blog” but thought better of it. In conversations about the basics to have in mind before you start a estate planning blog, I jotted down notes that may be of help to many.

• Plan on blogging regularly
  • At minimum of once per week or daily or M-W-F
  • Set up a schedule you LIVE BY
  • It is better to blog 1/week than spotty hit ‘er miss. Blogging 3-5 times per week is nice. Daily entries JOLTS Google into seeing you, 2-3x per week POKES Google and once per week NUDGES Google – all are good but consistency is the real key
  • Make it a part of your marketing calendar

• Do not outsource the writing – you will lose credibility… and if duplicate content is used your search engine rankings will suffer
  • Set up a LAW FIRM BLOG with various authors reflected so it is honest
  • Read other blogs and “feel” how other voices and tones hit you
  • Practice posting on Facebook so it’s not clumsy to “talk to people” in this way.
  • Have someone on staff do the blogging but you should also have a regular one of your own in the mix
    • Whoever writes needs to write in their voice… “You Won’t Believe What Our Dog Rascal Did This Morning!” People need to feel like they’re getting to know you, develop a style… do not write like an attorney! Write like you’re updating someone you know.
  • If someone on staff drafts then you can edit and finalize then IT ACTUALLY IS YOUR VOICE

• What to write:
  • Subscribe to blogs that are interesting to you and see about subscribing to other attorney or financial advisor blogs – decide what you like to read, how it feels to constantly be SOLD something or pitched an idea or product, compare it to how it feels to participate in a story. Look at the frequency that others are blogging (AVVO is a good example).
  • Make the topics interesting! Work stories into examples that clients can connect to: “Well, after that… we looked at each other and finally realized what all of our dog-owning clients have been talking about for 20 years! We are amending our estate plan so my sister-in-law will care for Rascal if we need that kind of help, we even talked to her to make sure it was ok.”
  • As you discover potential topics, send yourself an email with links to the resources, or slip existing emails into your BLOG FOLDER so you don’t have to scratch your head and find a topic when you’re under the gun.
  • Include KEYWORDS, we have the Google keywords that you want to incorporate into your blogs – use at least 4 but NOT more than 14 of them in your copy so that Google sees you and uses that fresh content to bump the ranking when those words are searched on. (Using more than approximately 14 keywords in your blogs has Google see the blog as junk just filled with keywords and no actual content).

• Proofing
  • Route your blog entries to at least ONE PERSON for proofing to make sure you haven’t gone too fast, that grammar and punctuation work and that the story makes as much sense to another person as it does to you, be sure it is checked by a non-attorney to see if it sounds like it’s a legal document or a blog entry.
  • Check your blog page frequently to make sure it’s formatted right, it posted correctly and that comments are showing
    • You want to allow comments but you also want to have the ability to APPROVE THEM so spammers aren’t just randomly posting their links on your site.
    • You WANT people to comment on blog entries and fan pages! (Feel free to comment on ours)

• One Blog—Four Places!
  • Set up your blog so it automatically points to your law firm Facebook fan page, then set up Facebook settings to send the blog notice to Twitter, Twitter can be set to send it to LinkedIn

• Getting the word out
  • Put your blog domain name, along with fan page, Twitter and LinkedIn on your email signature
  • Have your “FOLLOW US ON….”  blog, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn buttons on your website
  • Edit your bio information for handouts, slides, websites and so on include a screen shot and both the web address and the blog instructions or address. Ask people to comment.
  • Edit your any evaluation forms you use to include the web addresses for your blog, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn account
  • Provide little half page handouts in the lobby with helpful information about how to find you online
  • Include addresses on your law firm biz cards under your web address

Jennifer Price
Director, Member Services
American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.
(858) 453-2128
www.aaepa.com

There’s an easy trick to assess the value of a PowerPoint presentation: stand next to a slide. If it is prettier than you, then you got it wrong.

A slide is but a tool, like a pen, with which you, the presenter, will put your signature on the presentation. You may wield the finest Mont Blanc quill, but in the end, it is your signature on the credit card slip that lets you take home your prize.

That said, you still don’t want to have your public escape the venue of your show in a paroxysm of terror at the sight of your visual aids. Remember: put your stamp, not stampede, on the speaking engagement.

A slide should then simply be a snapshot, a fond reminder of a moment in time upon which you will rely to relay an interesting story. It should not overwhelm with details, it should not require interpretation, or span over multiple events, multiple memories.

You are the hero in this war against tedium, armed with your wits and charisma, so trim your presentation to the essential landmarks to wind your path through the performance.

Text-only slides must go; discard superfluous ones and those requiring long explanations, or a microscope to discern. Have them be concise, relying on key words rather than rambling sentences.

Think of the individual slide as a game of Russian roulette: fewer bullets make for more excitement, and reduce the mess.

• Ensure whatever you are showing is germane to the presentation and grammatically sound
• Adopt darker backgrounds with brighter foreground elements
• Use large sans-serif fonts and images that add depth and support your concepts
• Avoid clipart and line drawings
• Do not use copyrighted material, distracting details, and kitchen sinks
• Spend a few minutes setting up your templates to avoid hours of regret when having to apply global changes on dozens of slides.
• Be consistent with colors, styles, fonts and general aspect throughout the presentation.

Above all, you be the star; shine! Have the audience point at you to find their way to the safe harbor of your knowledge. It is you they came to see, not your unwitting support of Microsoft.

Watching your prospect list grow is an exciting thing. Those new prospects mean that your marketing efforts are paying off and if you’ve already implemented a Client Engagement System in your firm, then you should be feeling pretty good about converting those prospects into clients.

But what then?

What do you do with your new clients once you have them?

Now, before you answer, I want to tell you that “service them” is not a complete answer. Nor is “manage them” or “work their file.” No, I’m looking for something a bit more detailed than that, so I’m going to ask you to get specific.

From the moment a new client retains your firm, do you have systems in place to handle them?

We’re surprised at how often the answer is NO.

For many attorneys, a new client simply means a new estate plan to draft and that is truly the extent of their new client process. But before that plan can be appropriately drafted, some information needs to be gathered about the client and their assets.

And there should be a system for that.

The estate plan will need to be funded and the documents will need to be proofed.

And there should be systems for that too.

In fact, there should be systems in place to track both the work and client from the moment the account is created. How many systems, you ask?

You should have a system:

1. For gathering client and asset information – This should all be gathered in a systematic way that leaves no stone unturned.
2. For quoting the fee – Instead of quoting different fees based on what you think the client can afford, your fee should be the same every time.
3. For electronically logging in the client information in a firm database – A good relational database can completely run your practice for you.
4. For tracking the retainer check – You should be getting a minimum of 50% when you retain a client. Many of our Academy Members get up to 80% up front, so there’s very little Accounts Receivable to contend with – the balance is due upon delivery of the final document.
5. For data entry into an automated document assembly program – Producing world class documents requires time and attention to detail. Having an automated system in place can ensure that every document is created with the utmost care, even if you or your paralegal are having a less-than-perfect day.
6. For funding the estate plan – This can sometimes be a complex component to the estate plan – shouldn’t it have a system to ensure that everything is in place?
7. For proofing the documents and getting the clients’ OK before they come in – At the Academy we don’t  recommend that you send out drafts of these huge documents. Why? Because it’s a recipe for procrastination. Clients won’t know what they’re reading anyway.
8. We recommend that you schedule what we call a “Phone Final” – This is where your well trained paralegal armed with a checklist goes over the important areas of the estate plan on the phone with the clients. Your staff person identifies and makes sure each person named in the plan is spelled correctly and the fiduciaries and the distribution match their wishes. Getting your clients approval of all the details BEFORE they come in for the final signing, takes the pressure off everyone. There are no last minute changes to the documents while the clients are sitting there tapping their fingers because you spelled their grandson’s name “Brian” rather than “Bryan.“
9. For scheduling the final signing – There should be a systematic way to ensure that enough time is allowed for each and every signing and an automatic confirmation letter is mailed out.
10. For conducting the final signing and receiving the final payment – Did you know that your paralegals and support staff can handle the final signing for you? Of course, this can only work if you have a system in place to dictate how the final signing should proceed and you’ve fully trained your staff. As a side note, this brilliant piece of delegating just saved you a ton of time and gave you the opportunity to use it for more strategic law firm work.
11. For electronically logging in all conversations with the client – It doesn’t matter if the conversation is with you, your paralegal or your receptionist… it should be logged into a relational database so that it can be easily tracked.
12. For storing the documents for ready access – If a client calls in and needs copies of documents, can you lay your hands on them quickly? A document storing system will ensure that you can, but the better solution is for all files to be digitally  accessible with a click of your mouse.

Now, why do you need all these systems?

To ensure that nothing is missed and you have a consistent predictable outcome every time.

Systems give you a method for handling tasks that often get overlooked or delayed because of their nature. Many attorneys for example, are hesitant to ask for a retainer check because they believe the client won’t see the value of the services that you’ve provided, but this simply isn’t true. Having a system in place to secure that retainer check will give you the comfort level you need to expect money up front.

Having these systems will also guarantee that your client receives top-notch service and that your firm produces world class documents every time… The recipe I might add, for maximum client retention.

Robert Armstrong
President & Co-Founder
American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.
(858)453-2128
www.aaepa.com

How many times have your clients asked you that? As estate planning attorneys, we know that producing a comprehensive estate plan to meet the unique needs of the client is not as simple as pressing a button. It takes years of legal education and experience to identify and address potential issues.

Now, one of the leading providers of interactive legal forms for the public, Legal Zoom, is being sued in a Missouri court for the unauthorized practice of law. The complaint includes reference to a finding by a committee of the North Carolina bar that Legal Zoom was practicing law without a license. The Missouri lawsuit is seeking class action status and removal to federal district court.

As attorneys, we know that documents are merely tools to achieve the desired outcomes. The key is in knowing which tool is appropriate for the job and how to use that tool effectively.

Steve Hartnett, J.D., LL.M.
Associate Director of Education
American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.
(858)453-2128
www.aaepa.com