Ever had a lunch meeting with a potential business contact that didn’t go as expected? Maybe someone was late, or the chemistry was off. Regularly investing time in building relationships with key industry players, or Centers of Influence (COIs), is vital for a growing law practice. But if it’s not done effectively, it can lead […]

Charitable gifts offer a great opportunity to reduce income tax liability. When a taxpayer makes a charitable contribution, typically they get an offsetting charitable income tax deduction. Unfortunately, that offsetting deduction doesn’t always end up reducing the total tax burden. To take a charitable income tax deduction, the taxpayer needs to itemize their deductions. If […]

Navigating the distinction between simply managing a business and becoming a leading authority in your industry is vital. While business operations may involve excelling at your chosen profession, connecting with clients, and handling everyday tasks, achieving recognition as a foremost expert in your field requires intentional effort. Good performance alone does not guarantee that the […]

It’s my favorite time of the year. Temperatures fall and spirits rise as we approach the holiday season. While we count down the days to year-end and enjoy gathering with our loved ones, it’s a great time to remind ourselves and our loved ones about the seedier side of the holiday season: scams. Scams run […]

In a world that’s more connected than ever before, your online presence as a law firm matters. It’s not just about having a website; it’s about creating a trustworthy online persona that resonates with potential clients. To do this, you need to focus on building a credible and reliable digital footprint. This includes creating high-quality […]

October brings fall, pumpkin-spiced everything, and macabre things. Ghosts, ghouls, and goblins may Monster Mash through your mind; however, when I think of something truly terrifying, it’s dying without an estate plan…it’s the trick in Trick or Treating. Although everyone knows that they should treat their family to a comprehensive Estate Plan, many folks experience […]

It’s easier to start with the basics in the beginning than it is to remember what those basics were and get back to them years later. Part of the reason that tracking is so important all along the way, when it comes to recording or documenting a process or saving the results with a particular […]

Just a few months ago I was surprised to learn about “National Make-a-Will Month” for the first time. Now, I’ve learned about another celebration called “Estate Planning Awareness Month.”  Apparently, that happens in the month of October.  While I should be shocked that I failed to learn about this celebration until I left private practice, […]

Picture this:  You are knee deep in documents and you hear something.  You make your way out of your office and see your staff working together like a well-oiled machine.  They are collaborating, they are working as a team, and they are happy.  You hear the chatter of shared priorities mixed with laughter and a […]

Most folks know that the federal government imposes an estate tax on estates with total assets that exceed $12.92 million in 2023. The Internal Revenue Code (“Code”) Section 2010 calls that amount the “Applicable Exclusion Amount” (“AEA”) and adjusts it for inflation annually. Even if individuals do not have that number etched in their memory, […]