The Academy is all about systems. We believe that if your law firm is not organized with the systems running the practice and the people running the systems you are bound to get inconsistent results, confusion among staff and a haphazard client experience. Yet when I talk with experienced attorneys around the country their comments […]

It is long-settled that children conceived during life, but born posthumously, can inherit from their parent and can receive other benefits. But, can children conceived after death get benefits from a deceased parent’s Social Security account? The short answer to this question, thanks to the Supreme Court’s recent unanimous decision, is – maybe. It depends […]

The Medicaid Training Workshop, presented by David J. Zumpano, JD, CPA, founder of Medicaid Practice Systems (MPS, LLC) was another great Academy program packed with valuable information. And while education is the main purpose of such workshops and conferences, the networking opportunities can be just as valuable. You can make the most of the opportunity, […]

Knowing what you’re sending through the U.S. Postal Service and how much you’re spending on postage is the first place to start when you’re thinking about how “systematic” your office procedures are set up, to capture and use client and prospective client email addresses. Do a quick postage meter check to stay on top of […]

Clients often seem to want to have their cake and eat it, too. They want to remove assets from their taxable estates, yet they want to control the assets, or even use the assets if they need to do so. This year, we have an unprecedented opportunity for clients: the gift tax applicable exclusion is […]

“It’s not right to rough up a kid for his lunch money, and it spits in the face of God to exploit the grieving for a buck.” These strong words from Ed Howard, a lawyer and consumer advocate, were spoken at the recent Funeral Consumers Alliance (FCA) biennial meeting. When Howard’s father died, it took […]

Recently I’ve been involved in a project to create a law firm procedure manual by reviewing our documented systems. The goal was to pull all of our information into job specific modules to expedite training and to fine-tune existing ones. Organizing this information into a one-stop employee training and reference manual was a bit of […]

I was recently privy to quite a spirited online debate among a group of estate planning attorneys. The topic? Revocable Living Trusts and whether most clients really need them. I didn’t actually participate in the debate (I didn’t see the discussion until after the fact), but the topic is an important one, so I thought […]

In the opening scene of the original Toy Story movie, cowboy Woody (Tom Hanks) tells Andy’s toys that they each need a “moving buddy” for their relocation to a new home. “If you don’t have one, get one!” he admonishes. “We don’t want any toys left behind.” This is also my message to you about […]

It was truly a transformational first day for Academy Members attending the Medicaid Training Workshop yesterday, presented by David J. Zumpano, JD, CPA, founder of Medicaid Practice Systems (MPS, LLC). This information-packed program provides an in-depth review of the federal Medicaid rules and principles and how they can be applied in local communities to provide […]