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House Bill 4351: Going After Pension Poachers

March 4, 2016

by Lawyers With Purpose with 3 Comments Asset Protection Legal Technical VA

House Bill 4351 should be stopped!

For the past several years, bills have been introduced for Congressional approval that would impose a three-year look back, and penalties up to 10 years, for veterans and their spouses who give away their assets and then apply for a pension program designed for indigent wartime veterans. The bills were limited to addressing the concerns of deliberate impoverishment by veterans with the help of lawyers, financial advisors, and others. The bills never passed.

In January 2015, the Veterans Administration published proposed changes to the laws in the Federal Register that would change Title 38 of the Code of Federal Regulations. The VA included penalties for transfers of assets, and used very broad definitions of transfers (i.e. the purchase of an annuity), just like the previous bills that had been introduced. However, the VA went much further, proposing to (1) extend beyond its Congressional authority and (2) extend beyond the scope of the perceived needed changes.

Beyond VA Authority.

Under the pension program for wartime veterans, the claimant must meet an income and asset standard. With regard to income, the VA deducts from gross income all permissible medical expenses. Home healthcare is a permissible medical expense. But the VA proposed to limit the deduction to the average cost of home healthcare based on a national average set two years prior to the proposed changes, which would be $21 per hour. The law is clear that if a medical expense is deductible, then the entire amount must be deducted, and a change of this nature is in violation of the Congressional right.

Beyond the Scope

The purpose of the bills introduced into Congress and the purpose of the proposed changes to the VA regulations is to prevent people from divesting themselves of assets, which they otherwise could use for themselves to pay for care, in order to qualify for tax-free income from the VA to pay for their care. The VA exceeded the purpose of these bills when they included in the proposed changes a limitation on the lot coverage for veteran’s home place. The home place and a reasonable lot area have always been exempt by the VA when applying for pension. A reasonable lot area has always been defined as the same or similar in size to those in the same community or neighborhood. Rather than keeping the long-standing laws, the VA wants to count any property value that exceeds two acres. This makes no sense under the purpose of the law changes to keep people from divesting themselves of assets. First, a 900-square-foot condo in New York City may be worth well over $1,000,000, but it would be an exempt resource under the proposed changes. Whereas, a house sitting on five acres in south Georgia would be a countable resource, even if its value is only $150,000. Moreover, the veterans may have been living in the house for 10, 20, 30 years or more and had no intention of ever filing for the VA pension when they bought the house. Thus, the change in the law has nothing to do with the perceived abuses of people trying to save their assets and qualify for benefits.

Congress has apparently given up on trying to pass a bill that specifically details a look back and penalties for wartime veterans who give money away to qualify for the pension. After all, this is an election year and that would not look very good.

Nonetheless, a few members have found a sneaky way to get the VA’s proposed changes passed by Congress without Congress necessarily knowing what they are actually passing. House Resolution 4351, submitted in the House of Representatives on January 8, was sponsored by Rep. Matt Cartwright of Pennsylvania and co-sponsored by Rep. Sanford Bishop of Georgia, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas and Rep. Walter Jones of North Carolina. It has been referred to the Committee on Veteran’s Affairs.

Its stated goal is “To protect individuals who are eligible for increased pension under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs on the basis of need of regular aid and attendance from dishonest, predatory, or otherwise unlawful practices, and for other purposes.” The act would be titled, “Veterans Care Financial Protection Act of 2016.”

This sounds really good, because Congress is professing to protect veterans from financial predators. Second, the act does nothing more than mandate that the secretary of the VA work with the heads of federal agencies, states, and such experts as the secretary considers appropriate to “develop and implement Federal and State standards to protect individuals from dishonest, predatory, or otherwise unlawful practices.” The VA would then have 180 days to submit the standards to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and of the House of Representatives. If this resolution passes, the VA can just hand over the proposed changes in the laws as the standards. The resolution does not say what the two committees are to do once they receive the standards from the VA.

The VA plans to finalize proposed changes (with modifications) by early summer. What is unclear is whether a passage of this “blind” resolution would immediately sanctify any changes the VA has made, or if the changes cannot take effect until after the two committees have taken some action of approval. What is clear is that advocates and veterans must once again push to make your political leaders, specifically those in the two Veterans’ Affairs committees, aware of these damaging changes that have no bearing on the purpose of the proposed changes – limiting home healthcare to an outdated national average and limiting the home place lot coverage to two acres instead of a reasonable lot for the area.

If you would like to know more about the VA Proposed 3 Year Lookback and Other Law Changes join our FREE WEBINAR on Wednesday, March 16th at 4EST. Click here to reserve your spot today.

Victoria L. Collier, Co-Founder, Lawyers with Purpose, LLC; Certified Elder Law Attorney through the National Elder Law Foundation; Fellow of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys; Founder and Managing Attorney of The Elder & Disability Law Firm of Victoria L. Collier, PC; Co-Founder of Veterans Advocates Group of America; Entrepreneur; Author; and nationally renowned Presenter.

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VA form 21-8049 – Request for Details of Expenses

March 1, 2016

by Lawyers With Purpose with No Comment Estate Planning Drafting Software Legal Technical VA

For all you high Fact-finder/Follow through Kolbe types, don’t panic if the VA form 21-8049 number means nothing to you. It shouldn’t necessarily. If you file non-service-connected pension claims with the VA, you may never have had occasion to use this form, which is formally called a “Request for Details of Expenses.” It is not generally part of what Lawyers with Purpose considers a fully developed VA claim, although there are those who routinely include this form with all their VA claims.

Purpose of the 21-8049

As the name of VA form 21-8049 suggests, its main purpose is to report monthly non-medical expenses as well as expenses of dependents that otherwise are not typically reported on any other forms one submits with a fully-developed claim. The 21-8049 is usually sent to a claimant to be completed when the VA requires further information after the formal claim is filed. In fact, the VA specifically states in the instructions at the top, “We need additional information to determine whether you are entitled to benefits.” The VA may request this additional information because the adjudication manual directs the adjudicator to determine “whether or not the claimant’s financial resources are sufficient to meet his/her basic needs without assistance from VA. If a claimant’s assets are large enough that the claimant could use these assets to pay living expenses for a reasonable period of time, net worth is considered a bar,” M21-1 Adjudication Procedures Manual, Part V, Subpart I, Chapter 3, Section A.1.e. The 21-8049 may not be requested for every claim you file, but if it is requested, it can delay the claim process. For that reason, some choose to include this form with every formal claim they file. Or, you may decide to complete this form only when your claimant has unusually high non-medical living expenses that you want to make evident to the VA.

How to complete the 21-8049

The current version of this form is dated Aug 2007 in the lower left corner of the first page, although the VA still accepts older versions. It is a two-page form that consists of seven sections. The instructions are minimal, but the VA does provide a toll-free number to call for assistance. Like any other VA form, it is recommended that you complete every section. Non-applicable sections should be crossed out, or you should otherwise indicate that these do not apply. Sections I and II are for listing dependents – both those living with the claimant and those not living with the claimant. Furthermore, you can specify the amount, if any, that the claimant contributes to the support of dependents not living with the claimant so that the VA will consider these amounts when evaluating whether the claimant’s net worth is sufficient.

Sections III, IV, V, and VI are for “Monthly Expenses (except medical) for you and those listed above as living with you,” “Hospital and Medical Expenses,” “Educational Expenses,” and “Expenses of Last Illness and Burial of Veteran, Spouse, or Child and Just Debts of Deceased Veteran or Parent’s Spouse,” respectively. The completion of these four sections is fairly straightforward, but a few remarks should be made to avoid potential problems. Section III lists several possible monthly expenses, like Housing, Food, Taxes, etc., and it also provides blanks for inserting other types of expenses, but this section is only for reporting non-medical expenses. For example, the line item “Housing” should not be used for reporting fees for a nursing home or assisted living facility. Instead, total medical expenses that were reported on the VA form 21P-8416 “Medical Expense Report” with the formal claim should be reported in Section IV, “Hospital and Medical Expenses,” along with a brief breakdown of the medical expenses, or simply refer the VA to the already submitted form 21P-8416. Finally, section VII is for reporting “Commercial Life Insurance Payments” to the claimant. While life insurance payouts are not considered income by the VA if the insured was a veteran, these will be considered as part of net worth and could potentially put a claimant over the asset limit unless you can document to the VA that these assets have been spent down.

What to file with the 21-8049

Documentation of the expenses listed on this form is not required but may assist in your claim. If you decide you want to start including the 21-8049 with all your formal claims, you may decide not to include further supporting documentation unless later requested by the VA. If you do refer to the VA form 21P-8416 in Section IV, you may want at least to include a copy of this form for the adjudicator’s convenience. However, if the VA sent you the form 21-8049 to be completed, they may have requested other information as well. In such cases, ensure that you submit the VA form 21-8049 with anything else requested in the VA correspondence, and that you respond by any deadlines the VA may specify.

If you want to lear more about the Veterans Administration Proposed 3 Year Lookback and Other Law Changes join our FREE WEBINAR on Wednesday, March 16th at 4 EST. Just click here to reserve your spot. Here's what you'll get:

Discover the Nuts and Bolts of the Proposed VA Changes…and What it Means for Your Practice!

On Friday, January 23, 2015, the Veterans Administration proposed changes in the Federal Register that would…

Impose a three year lookback for transfers of assets, including gifts to persons, trusts, or purchases of annuities.
Deny claims for up to 10 years due to transfers.
And exempt only the home and two acres from net worth. If a claimant's property exceeds two acres, it will count toward the net worth figure for eligibility.

By Sabrina A. Scott, Paralegal, The Elder & Disability Law Firm of Victoria L. Collier, PC and Director of VA Services for Lawyers With Purpose.

Victoria L. Collier, Veteran of the United States Air Force, 1989-1995 and United States Army Reserves, 2001-2004. Victoria is a Certified Elder Law Attorney through the National Elder Law Foundation; Author of “47 Secret Veterans Benefits for Seniors”; Author of “Paying for Long Term Care: Financial Help for Wartime Veterans: The VA Aid & Attendance Benefit”; Founder of The Elder & Disability Law Firm of Victoria L. Collier, PC; Co-Founder of Lawyers with Purpose; and Co-Founder of Veterans Advocate Group of America.

Tips For VA form 21-0779

February 19, 2016

by Lawyers With Purpose with No Comment Estate Planning Drafting Software Systems & Processes VA

Purpose of the 21-0779

The VA form 21-0779 “Request for Nursing Home Information In Connection With Claim for Aid and Attendance” is used only for certain non-service-connected pension claims, and its primary purpose is to document the level of care required by a claimant or a claimant’s dependent. The VA form 21-0779 is completed specifically for individuals who are residents of nursing homes. The importance of documenting this level of care is twofold:

To support a claim for additional pension above and beyond the base level;
To support the need for certain medical expenses.

There are three levels of non-service-connected pension that a claimant may qualify for: Base pension, Housebound, and Aid & Attendance. The base pension is the lowest pension that a claimant may be awarded. Additional funds are granted if you can document that the claimant is housebound, and even more funds go to those requiring another individual to assist with at least two activities of daily living, or ADLs. The VA also looks at level of care when considering medical expenses to offset income. Therefore, the VA form 21-0779 should document the level of care that justifies the medical expenses being declared. This applies to the claimant’s dependents as much as to the claimant. So for example, the VA will not consider the nursing home facility expense for a veteran’s spouse unless a form 21-0779 is completed for the spouse indicating the need for this level of care.

Completing the 21-0779

The VA form 21-0779 is just a single page and is mainly to be completed by a third party; that is, the nursing home. All you need to complete the form is the veteran’s – or claimant’s, if other than the veteran – name(s), and Social Security number(s). When you are completing this form for a living veteran’s spouse or other dependent, that person’s name appears in the field that requests the name of the claimant, even though, strictly speaking, the claimant is the living veteran. When downloaded from the VA website at http://www.va.gov/vaforms/, the 21-0779 has no separate instruction pages. The form is fairly straightforward to fill out, but it still provides a toll-free phone number for those who require assistance completing the form. Despite the fact that you are not completing this form yourself for the most part, you should still review all 21-0779s once completed by the nursing home and before submitting to the VA so that you can confirm that every field is answered.

What to file with the 21-0779

Nothing in particular is required to be filed with the 21-0779 form. If you determine that you do need to file this form, it should be submitted as part of a fully developed claim in order to expedite the processing. If you are filing the VA form 21-0779 with your formal claim, then you do not need to file a VA form 21-2680 “Examination for Housebound Status or Permanent Need for Regular Aid and Attendance” because the former documents that the claimant is in a nursing home and requires skilled nursing care and thus by definition has a permanent need for regular aid and attendance. This will, however, not stop some VA adjudicators from requesting the 21-2680 form in addition to the VA form 21-0779, thus we generally request all our VA clients to get a VA form 21-2680 completed as soon as they have retained us.

Always remember that this form can be used for supporting both a claim for a higher level of pension and the need for certain medical expenses. Keep those two purposes in mind when you are deciding whether or not it needs to be included as part of your VA claim, and when reviewing its completion by the nursing home to make sure there are not unexpected results with your claim.

If you're interested in learning more about the Lawyers With Purpose Cloud Based Workflow System join us on Friday, February 26th at 2EST. Finally…an AUTOMATED law firm system for Estate and Elder Law Attorneys designed to free up your time and get the work out the door quickly and easily! Click here to reserve your spot for this FREE LIVE DEMO! We only have a few spots left so grab your seat today!

By Sabrina A. Scott, Paralegal, The Elder & Disability Law Firm of Victoria L. Collier, PC and Director of VA Services for Lawyers With Purpose.

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Do You Employ The “Fifty Shades of Grey” Publicist?

February 16, 2016

by Lawyers With Purpose with No Comment Systems & Processes

E L James is the author of the extremely popular erotic romance trilogy "Fifty Shades of Grey," released in May of 2011 and followed by the movie of the same title on February 13, 2015. This was the author's first novel, but she clearly hit a home run!

Maybe that is where I had my misconnect. I write poetry, some of which is provocative. Believing the new release of the movie would be a great opportunity to connect two pieces of art, I sent a letter via email to Ms. James’ publicist, which included three topic-appropriate poems. Yes, it was gutsy and a stretch, but history is not made by watching other people take action (and neither is money).

It has been a year and I have not heard from Ms. James or her publicist – not even a "We are not interested." It makes me wonder if Ms. James ever even got my letter, or if her publicist independently discarded it without discussion.

When are referrals or opportunities sent to you that you are not aware of? Often.

Just to share a few in my law office I, much too late, learned of:

A resume for an administrative position received by a paralegal and discarded without bringing it to me.
A referral, from a good friend, that wouldn't follow our office procedures and requested a free consult without first attending a workshop. Discarded.
An offer to make a presentation to a nursing home.

Would I have accepted any of the above opportunities? Maybe, but now I have no choice.

I was in fact hiring at the time the resume was discarded.
I would have done pro bono consult to help a colleague.
I would move mountains to get in front of a nursing home administrator.

So why were they discarded? Why was my opinion trumped?

Because of one of two reasons, or both.

Employees who believe they know a) what is best for you or the firm, or b) what you would have said and didn't want to bother you. These are rogue employees in the guise of being independent and efficient.

You haven't been clear on your expectations. A system should be in place for each member of the firm to report opportunities of ALL kinds presented, accepted and rejected. An opportunity in this sense should be defined as "a request of some sort by another person or organization to either the firm or the managing lawyer."

I appreciate efficiency and independence, but I appreciate opportunity even more. The owner or manager of the firm should have the final say to accept or deny.

I feel certain that, had Ms. James been presented with my letter and poetry, she would have taken one of two actions:

Remembered her beginnings and reached out to assist a sister in the arts.

Sent a reply politely denying my request.

Don't your prospects and professional community deserve the same?

What are you missing? What processes can you implement to catch them? What can you do to gently discard the others without leaving them hanging?

Did you know that Lawyers With Purpose has it's own Cloud Based Workflow System specifically for estate and elder law firms? If you want to learn more about it, join us on Friday, February 26th at 2EST for a FREE live demo! Just click here to reserve your spot now.

Victoria L. Collier, Co-Founder, Lawyers with Purpose, LLC, Certified Elder Law Attorney through the National Elder Law Foundation; Fellow of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys; Founder and Managing Attorney of The Elder & Disability Law Firm of Victoria L. Collier, PC; Co-Founder of Veterans Advocates Group of America; Entrepreneur; Author; and nationally renowned Presenter.

The Lifeblood of Any Good Business…

February 15, 2016

by Lawyers With Purpose with 2 Comments Uncategorized

The lifeblood of any good business or practice is the ability to attract a consistent flow of clients through the doors. In order to do this, you need to keep evolving your practice to offer not only what your clients want, but what they need. Attorney Julieanne Steinbacher, President of The Million Dollar Solution, is here to tell you why you need to be offering financial products with your repertoire.

Up until now, financial products have been largely unchartered territory, but that’s true no longer. We have cracked the code to practice success in the financial services arena, and we want to share it with you. A lot of attorneys believe they shouldn’t be involved in any way with financial services, thinking it is unseemly or not lawyerly, and they believe it takes away their ability to advise their clients in an unbiased manner. That’s what we thought, too — but we were wrong. Instead, we found that we were doing our clients a disservice by not becoming educated about the role financial solutions can play in helping protect our clients. Incorporating financial products into your firm could be the key to the success that you so desire.

The Million Dollar Solution, home to Leading Lawyers on Estate and Long Term Care Planning, and the Senior Estate Planning Institute, is dedicated to assisting elder law and estate planning attorneys build a profitable practice while most efficiently and effectively serving their clients. Through conferences, mastermind sessions, testing ideas, their website, www.planningandprotecting.com, and a multitude of other resources, The Million Dollar Solution has helped leading attorneys in this field transform not only their practices, but their lives and will be sponsoring the Lawyers With Purpose Tri-Annual Practice Enhancement Retreat. If you'll be there next week make sure you join us for lunch on Friday, February 26th!

Congratulations to Andrew Jaloza, Lawyers With Purpose Member of The Month

February 12, 2016

by Lawyers With Purpose with No Comment Systems & Processes Team Building

What is the greatest success you’ve had since joining LWP?

The greatest success is having created a thriving Estate Planning Practice run by a cohesive team of dedicated people who are passionate about helping as many families as we possibly can.

What is your favorite LWP tool?

It is not just the tools but the total client centered systematic approach of the LWP process that has allowed us to quickly go from zero to hero as an Elder Law and Estate Planning firm.

How has being part of LWP impacted your team and your practice?

We have been impacted by our implementation coach Roz Drotar and our mentor Coach Candace Pollock, both of whom have held us accountable and challenged us to reach our highest possible potential while imparting their years of experience-based suggestions to help us achieve amazing growth over the past year.

Share something about yourself that most people don’t know about you.

Something that people don't know about me is that I am transparent. What you see is truly what you get.

What is your favorite book and how did it impact your life?

My favorite book is called Man's Search of Meaning by Viktor Frankl. This book has impacted my life because after reading it, it has taught me that everything in your life is a matter of perspective, and how you look at something creates your world.

Sneaky Runaround to Get VA Law Changes Approved by Congress

February 11, 2016

by Lawyers With Purpose with 3 Comments Uncategorized

Over two years, Congress introduced legislation to protect veterans from “pension poachers” by actually penalizing veterans for making transfers of assets. Those bills were S. 3270/H.R. 6171 (112^th Congress) and S. 748/H.R. 2341 (113^th Congress). Both bills died in Congress. The Veterans Administration drafted and issued proposed law changes, without Congressional approval, on January 23, 2015: Federal Register Vol. 80, No. 15, Part IV, 38 CFR Part 3, Net Worth, Asset Transfers, and Income Exclusions for Needs-Based Benefits. Over 900 public comments were submitted to the VA overwhelmingly in opposition to the proposed changes. One specific argument was that the VA did not have independent authority to make such changes and needed Congressional approval.

Apparently the VA agrees, so it secured the support of a few senators to craft a bare-bones House Resolution 4351. That resolution, called the “Veterans Care Financial Protection Act of 2016,” would carte blanche approve any “standards” developed and implemented by the Veterans Administration “that protect individuals from dishonest, predatory, or otherwise unlawful practices relating to increased pension available … on the basis of need for regular aid and attendance.”

Should this resolution pass, all of the proposed changes to Title 38 of the Code of Federal Register, as drafted by the Veterans Administration, affecting veterans, imposing transfer penalties of up to 10 years, would become law.

One glaring problem, as I see it, is that neither the bill nor the proposed changes in Title 38 define “dishonest, predatory, or otherwise unlawful practices.” A financial advisor who sells a product is within his right to do so if it meets financial goals and the federal suitability requirements. Lawyers who draft estate planning documents, licensed to do so in the state where the client resides, are acting lawfully. Certainly, misrepresentation that a trust or an annuity is required in order to get VA benefits is dishonest. But making transfers of assets to trusts and the purchase of an annuity itself are not unlawful. Holding educational seminars is not predatory.

This is yet another example of a poorly drafted piece of legislation designed to appeal to the emotions of the ignorant, and it purposely does not adequately explain the consequences for or against the cause.

Veterans are being harmed by the changes in the laws, not protected. If the VA and the select few Congressional members truly wanted to protect veterans, they would leave the VA pension plan rules as they are and sanction the advisors who are using unethical practices or committing illegal acts. If the VA and Congress wanted to protect veterans, they would allocate their time and resources to making the application and appeals process, and healthcare system, efficient and consumer friendly instead of making it harder for veterans to qualify for deserved benefits.

Let your representatives know the real issues behind the reason for this new resolution. Urge them not to pass this blindly – know what the proposed rules are that affect pension benefits and veterans.

Did you know Lawyers With Purpose has a Cloud Based Workflow System specifically to support your estate or elder law practice? If you aren't a Lawyers With Purpose member and want to know more about our LWP Platform just join us on Thursday, February 26th at 2EST for a complete live demo on how it all works! Click here to register for our Live Law Firm CRM Workflow System Demo for estate planning and elder law attorneys.

Victoria L. Collier, Co-Founder, Lawyers with Purpose, LLC, www.LawyersWithPurpose.com; Certified Elder Law Attorney through the National Elder Law Foundation; Fellow of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys; Founder and Managing Attorney of The Elder & Disability Law Firm of Victoria L. Collier, PC, www.ElderLawGeorgia.com; Co-Founder of Veterans Advocates Group of America; Entrepreneur; Author; and nationally renowned Presenter.

10 Ideas to Make Your Law Firm Website Better Today

February 8, 2016

by Lawyers With Purpose with 9 Comments Legal Marketing

Today we welcome Guest Blogger Mike Ramsey, President of NiftyLaw. He writes and speaks across the nation about all things search, social, and local.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Most law firms have active websites, but not many of them are good. This gives you a fantastic opportunity to improve your website and stand out from the crowd. After all, a professional website can create the much-needed positive impression, strengthen credibility, and generate new business for you.

In this post, I’m going to share 10 ideas to make your law firm website better today.

Let’s get started…

1. Use Images of Attorneys and Your Office

A professional law firm website needs to build trust, authenticity, and credibility. And nothing does that better than images of your own office and attorneys.

Here is an example.

You can always use stock images on your website, but that’s not recommended. It looks generic, and stock images can never reflect the personality and values of your business — which are important factors.

Pro Tip: Use PhotoFeeler to get unbiased feedback on your photos and control the impression it sends to your potential clients.

2. Start Publishing Blog Posts Regularly

Blogging plays a significant role in lead generation — especially for law firms. According to studies, marketers who blogs generate 67% more leads than those who don’t. Also, businesses with over 200 blog posts generate 5x more leads than those with 10 or fewer.

So, as you can see, blogging is a great long-term investment.

Furthermore, your entire content marketing efforts will be based on your business blog. Let’s discuss it more.

3. Target the “Right” Audience

Here is another tip about blogging.

When you are creating content, it is important to identify the type of audience you are targeting. You are not creating content for other lawyers. It’s a rookie mistake that actually a lot of law firms make.

You should be creating content for your potential customers. Other lawyers are not your potential clients in many cases and there are better ways to create relationships with lawyers in person compared to blogs.

So choose your topics wisely.

4. Local Area Keyword Targeting

Okay, this is the last tip on blogging and content marketing. I promise.

When you are creating content for your law firm website, make sure that you are targeting the right keywords.

One tip is to target keywords for all the local places where you provide services. For instance, if you are a lawyer in Chicago, you probably work with people in the entire metro and should be targeting multiple local areas, e.g., Cicero estate planning, Evanston elder law, Oak Park, Skokie, etc.

Create content to publish on your website with these areas as primary keywords. Optimizing these location keywords will help you get more search engine traffic and potential leads from those geographical regions. This will also expand your website dramatically.

You can use the Google Keyword Planner to find all the relevant keywords and keyword phrases.

5. Responsive Mobile-Friendly Design

Mobile searches have become an important component of online marketing. If your website isn’t mobile-friendly, it can have several negative impacts on your online business.

First of all, nearly 50% of the website traffic comes from mobile devices. If your website isn’t compatible, you are simply going to lose all that traffic. Secondly, search engines prefer mobile-friendly websites.

In April 2015, Google announced their mobile-friendly search engine algorithm update. According to this update, if you are website isn’t mobile-friendly, Google may not rank it higher in the search engine results pages (SERPs). Following that, Bing has also announced their own mobile-friendly algorithm.

6. Building an Email List

An email list of targeted subscribers and potential leads is, by far, the most valuable asset of your online business. It’s important that you start building an email list right from the start.

Why is an email list so important for a law firm website?

It’s simple.

Approximately only 4% website visitors are ready to buy right away when they visit your website. The rest of the 96% need to be properly nurtured. And there is no better way to nurture potential leads than email marketing.

Moreover, when you stay in touch with your email subscribers and send them useful information, they are more likely to hire your services and trust your recommendations.

7. The Psychology of Color

Sometimes, just choosing the right color for your website can make a huge difference. It’s important because each color sends a different message and that can change the perception of your website visitors.

For instance, blue is a color that builds trust, credibility, order, loyalty, and authenticity. This is the reason so many financial institutions and banks use blue.

You can leverage this information and use this to your own advantage and ensure the color choices of your firm are in line with the messaging you want to send.

8. Focus on Reputation

Your website can create a great first impression that you need so much.

For instance, take a look at the following image.

The website specifically focuses on building the good reputation. It shows achievements, highlights different accomplishments, and has a great tagline to go with it.

You should also use testimonials of satisfied customers to complement other elements on your website. A great tool to help generate feedback from customers is GetFiveStars where you can manage reviews, ask for testimonials, and address issues before they become reputation problems.

9. Stand Out with Video Marketing

Video marketing can have great rewards if done properly.

The idea is to rise above your competitors by having engaging videos on your law firm website.

You can create testimonials videos, educational videos, or promotional videos. And when all else fails, you can just be “memorable”.

10. Contact Information

One of the major reasons why people visit your law firm website is to find your contact information. It is, therefore, your job to make it as easy for them as possible.

Don’t forget to mention the physical address of your firm, your local phone numbers, an active email address, and a map. It is important that the contact information — Business name, address, and phone number are consistent everywhere on the web.

Also, depending on your website design, it is a good idea to display the contact information on every webpage. You can easily achieve that by displaying the contact information in the header or the footer of your website.

It can also be a good idea to clarify that an email or contact form submission does not initiate an attorney-client relationship — as shown in the following image.

Final Words

It is important to understand that your law firm website is a crucial component. Without it, you won’t be able to manage content marketing. 81% people search online before buying, and that makes it imperative that you have a great law firm website in place. And you can use these 10 ideas to make your law firm website better today.

Mike Ramsey, President of NiftyLaw

Mike is one of our sponsors for the February Tri-Annual Practice Enhancement Retreat…. and he's also a guest speaker! Join the conversation during his focus session on the Thursday, 2/25 Marketing Track at 8AM : "I'd Like to Hire You, But I Can't Find You" and learn all things local search to dominate online in your area!

If you're not a Lawyers With Purpose member and want to know more about our Cloud Based Workflow System, join our webinar on Thursday, February 26th at 2EST – Click here to register for our Live Law Firm CRM Workflow System Demo for estate planning and elder law attorneys.

Roslyn Drotar – Lawyers With Purpose, Online Marketing Strategist

(Shhhhh…..) Client vs. Lawyer: TMI

January 29, 2016

by Lawyers With Purpose with No Comment Estate Planning Drafting Software Systems & Processes VA

The best way to illustrate the topic of this post is with the following joke:

A man is flying in a hot air balloon when he realizes he is lost. He reduces his altitude and spots a man in a field below. He lowers the balloon toward the man and shouts to him, “Excuse me, can you help me? I am late to meet a friend, but I don’t know where I am.”

The man below says, “I’m happy to help. You are in a hot air balloon, hovering approximately 30 feet above this field. You are between 40 and 42 degrees N. latitude, and between 58 and 60 degrees W. longitude.”

After a brief pause, the balloonist declares: “You must be a lawyer.”

“I am” replies the man. “How did you know?”

“Well,” says the balloonist, “everything you have told me I am sure is technically correct, but I have no idea what to make of your information, and the fact is I am still lost.”

The man below responds, “Indeed. And you … you must be a client.”

“Why, yes, I am,” replies the balloonist, “how in the world did you know?”

“Well,” says the man, “you don’t know where you are, or where you are going. You have made a promise that you have no idea how to keep, and you expect me to solve your problem. The fact is you are in the exact same position you were in before we met, but now it is somehow my fault.”

(From http://www.milwaukee-business-lawyer.com/my-favorite-lawyerclient-joke/)

Funny, right? But how true! Most of our clients and their families come to us for answers or solutions in the form of information, but sometimes the very information for which they pay us, and that they desperately need, is the source of much frustration and confusion for them. Why is that and what can you do to remedy the situation? One of the most common issues that may occur when relaying information to a client regarding a VA claim is giving too much or too little information. You can also have problems if you do not time the release of information correctly, or worse yet, give out the wrong information.

Some of this is undoubtedly beyond one’s control. For example, gauging the amount of information that your client is going to expect and want has a lot to do with that individual’s particular personality or social style. You can often tell from initial contact if your client or client’s family is going to participate actively in their planning and the application process versus how much they want you to just take care of everything and leave them out of it. Thus you may have to adjust your response and the amount of information you provide to meet individual needs on a client-to-client basis. As a good baseline, resist the urge to discuss how the sausage is made. I actually prefer clients who are engaged in the process and seek to comprehend the information they are given. Clients like this can be strong allies in the process of getting a VA claim completed and filed, as well as great referral sources because they appreciate how much work is entailed.

However, regardless of what the client may want, there is obviously a lawyer’s duty to the clients to keep them informed concerning their representation. Per the Preamble of the American Bar Association’s Model Rules of Professional Conduct, a lawyer's responsibilities include the following: “As advisor, a lawyer provides a client with an informed understanding of the client's legal rights and obligations and explains their practical implications. . . . As an evaluator, a lawyer acts by examining a client's legal affairs and reporting about them to the client or to others.” At the very least, someone in the family has to be made aware of the most basic information regarding the legal services you are performing for them: what you are doing, what is happening next, and what to do if circumstances change.

While you can’t always choose the personality of your client, factors like bad timing of information or giving out wrong information are largely ones that you should be able to control. By bad timing, I mean giving information when it is not required at that particular moment. This could be as simple as explaining the VA appeals process when you haven’t even filed an “Intent to file claim” form yet. It could also be giving necessary information too late to be of use. The best way to avoid either is to anchor back to your VA process and advise and inform your client at every major step as to what you have just done and what to expect next. Also systematize what information should be given at each stage using client handouts, correspondence templates, etc., so the client receives the information when needed and not afterwards. While there is no problem with giving the client an overall summary of the process, avoid giving too much information for future stages in the process that may in fact never occur.

The problem with giving a client the wrong information should be self-evident. The rules and laws impacting VA eligibility can be complex, but there is a wealth of resources online, including original sources like the Code of Federal Regulations and the VA Adjudication manuals, both of which are available at the VA’s Web Automated Reference Material System and which should be consulted regularly to ensure the accuracy of what you are telling your clients. Organizations like Lawyers with Purpose are also indispensable for the support they provide in the form of legal/technical learning opportunities and a network of colleagues facing the same challenges who are ready to answer your questions or act as a sounding board for your daily dilemmas. If you choose to make the time to use the resources available, you can ensure that you do not make the mistake of giving the wrong information.

Are you interested in learning more about the Lawyers With Purpose Estate Planning Trust Drafting Software? If so, click here and we'll hop on a call with you and show you how it works first hand! We think it's the best thing out there and are confident you will too after you see it for yourself. Click here now and we'll take it from there and start walking you through the difference it will make to your estate and/or elder law practice.

By Sabrina A. Scott, Paralegal, The Elder & Disability Law Firm of Victoria L. Collier, PC and Director of VA Services for Lawyers With Purpose.

Congratulations to Churchill Law Office, Lawyers With Purpose Member of The Month!

January 29, 2016

by Lawyers With Purpose with No Comment Coaching & Implementation Systems & Processes Team Building

Churchill Law Office answered this from a team perspective, not an attorney perspective. We think it's awesome! What do you think?

What is the greatest success you’ve had since joining LWP?

Maintaining a successful firm even after crisis occurred when the Attorney was in a car accident. A large portion of our success is the Actionstep platform and having the technical knowledge within the office to program and automate everything and staying in the black!

What is your favorite LWP tool?

This is a cop-out, but they are all amazing in that they have assisted us to maintain even in crisis. The way the stories tie to the Estate Plan Audit, and then the Vision Clarifier have been a massive support in reminding clients of their goals in follow-ups.

How has being part of LWP impacted your team and your practice?

Being able to call for help. The greatest example is one, Nedra’s constant ideas, two, Candace’s drive to move forward, and most of all, three, without Molly “encouraging”, e.g. “do it”, with regard to us doing Vision’s without the Attorney, we would have had to close the office after Debbie’s accident.

Share something about yourself that most people don’t know about you.

Beth is a very experienced database and lean management trainer! Beth is a bit of a recluse.

Melissa worked for 14 years in daycare and this is her first office job and has surpassed any assistant we’ve ever had in the office. Melissa is a HUGE prankster.

John has extensive experience in programming and automates everything in Actionstep beyond its basic programming. John has played the piano for 30 years.

Debbie is a successful attorney with a secret passion for beading! She makes most of her own jewelry.

Terry is retired, and was an instructor helicopter with the Guard before joining our team. He makes a mean chocolate chip cookie for the clients.

What is your favorite book and how did it impact your life?

John – Technical programming books. It has advanced his piano recording and office efficiency.

Melissa – To Kill a Mockingbird – It makes her sound more sophisticated when asked what her favorite book is.

Beth – Machine that Changed the World – Has simplified her life both at home and work through lean management.

Debbie – The Biology of Belief – Helps her to grow spiritually.

Terry – Killer Angels – Loves history and it a great portray of struggle, honor, and patriotism.