By Kristina Schneider Many estate planning attorneys think that seminars don’t work—for a variety of reasons. Some of these reasons may be valid, but the most common reason that I find when I talk to estate planning attorneys is they say, “I tried it and they didn’t work.” It’s then that we begin to have a discussion about how they went about marketing it and as we begin to look into things further, it is clear to me why they don’t think that seminars work. Worse yet, for some attorneys, I have found that when we actually reviewed the return…
Unlocking Growth Potential with Virtual Assistants: A Guide for Law Firm Owners
By Traba Legal The modern law firm landscape demands efficiency, adaptability, and innovative solutions to remain competitive. Among the game-changing strategies many law firms have adopted is the use of Virtual Assistants (VAs)—remote professionals who provide a range of administrative and specialized services. Today, VAs have become a mainstream option for firms looking to streamline their operations and focus on core goals. This article explores the growing trend of Virtual Assistants, their benefits, and why law firms should consider leveraging services like Traba Legal to maximize efficiency and scale effectively. What Are Virtual Assistants and How Do They Work? Virtual…
Look Inside Your Practice for the Answers, Not Outside
By David Giuliano, Business Coach Whether you’re a new solo practitioner or have many years running a practice under your belt, often the biggest problems you face in the workplace reflect some confusion or lack of clarity you carry inside of yourself. You may have some clear goals: Make more money. Find ways to grow the practice. Work less (or more!). Have more satisfaction and peace of mind. The problem is, you’re having trouble achieving them, but don’t know why. You know something’s wrong: wrong staff, wrong marketing, wrong economy, etc. But the real reason may not be what you…
What Estate Planners Get Wrong About Their Homepage
By Foster Web Marketing Most estate planning attorneys assume that their homepage should be the page that comes up in search for every single keyword they want to be found for. The plain reality of the situation, though, is that you can’t do everything with just one page. This is such a pervasive issue in estate planning marketing. Nearly everyone assumes that all their visitors will come in through the “front door,” or homepage, of their website. Their designers put a load of emphasis on it. They use all their best images, calls to action, content, links, and ideas on…
7 Tips for Making More Appointments – – Right at a Seminar!
By Philip J. Kavesh, J.D., LL.M. (Taxation), CFP®, ChFC, California State Bar Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law Many seminar speakers forget (or don’t realize) that the main goal of a seminar is not to educate, but to motivate the attendees to make appointments with you before they leave the seminar! Our goal is always to make appointments with a minimum of 80% of the “units” attending (husband and wife equal one unit). That may be a lofty goal for you to begin with, but you should at least shoot for an initial appointment rate of 50%. …
Staff Reviews & Setting Goals at the Beginning of the New Year
By Kristina Schneider, Practice Success Coach Thanks to the over 43 years of success of our affiliated law firm—Kavesh, Minor & Otis—we have found it vitally important to periodically meet with each employee (even ones that may be part-time or independent contractors) to review their job performance and set clear and defined goals. Once you do these reviews on a regular basis, you will be amazed how much more motivated and productive your staff will be! We do these reviews semi-annually—at the beginning of January and again in the middle of July, rather than just once a year. We do…
Journey to the Third Question: Navigating Planning for Those with an Alzheimer’s or Dementia Diagnosis
By Julieanne E. Steinbacher, J.D., CELA, LL.M. The estate planning and elder law fields need specific planning options geared at not just the legal documents but the aging and health care network that exists. Gone are the days when people seek out a “general practitioner.” Today, clients demand specialized providers and best-in-class care, with elder law being no different. As attorneys in estate planning and elder law, we can make a positive impact in our communities by providing the very best planning for individuals, family members and caregivers of those with a dementia or Alzheimer’s diagnosis. For my central Pennsylvania…
Use the Right “Google Bait” to Attract Great Estate Planning Clients
By Foster Web Marketing Who is your website designed for? It sounds deceptively simple, but this is a big question. If you think about and make a website like a lawyer, you’re probably only going to attract the attention of other lawyers. But, if you shift your thinking and your website toward what makes sense to the people you actually serve, you’ll attract your “perfect clients.” Too many lawyers write their content and develop their websites without those perfect clients in mind. And their ability to get great cases and clients suffers for it. So, if you want better leads…
Conduct a Successful 2025 “Kick-Off” Meeting with Your Firm
By Philip J. Kavesh, J.D., LL.M. (Taxation), CFP®, ChFC, California State Bar Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law I’ve found that the best way to ensure a successful new year is to start off with a big stride in the right direction, by holding a firm “kick-off” meeting. The purpose of this meeting is to establish clearly defined goals for the year, outline the implementation process and get everyone on board, excited and motivated! It also provides an action checklist that you and your firm can periodically refer back to during the year, so you stay on…
Dear President-Elect and New Congress: Please Fix the IRC Section 199A Pass-Thru Business Deduction Injustice Done to Lawyers, Accountants and Financial Planners
By Steven J. Oshins, Esq., AEP (Distinguished) The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 included an IRC 199A pass-thru business deduction that has been really nice for a whole lot of business owners. This deduction allows certain business owners to deduct 20% of their Qualified Business Income. However, not every taxpayer can receive this deduction. For a married couple with taxable income of no more than $315,000 (adjusted for inflation) and for an unmarried individual with taxable income of no more than $157,500 (adjusted for inflation), there are minimal rules and the 20% federal income tax deduction is available….