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The NEW Lawyers With Purpose Estate Planning Process™ Binder

August 15, 2014

by Lawyers With Purpose with 2 Comments Systems & Processes

If you have not yet noticed, the entire LWP Estate Planning Process™ has been revised with new documents and support tools. Go to the LWP Processes Tab, click on the first tab (LWP Estate Planning Process), and check it out. The first folder – “Estate Planning Process Full Binder” – contains a single link that will enable you to print out 90% of the contents and should replace the 2012 binder you have been using. There are 229 pages of great stuff in there.

The Five Key Focusers™ have been updated to enable your firm to capture additional important information and are available to you in both Word and Excel formats.

The Workshop Outline has additional information about free publication for your workshops, and a detailed but concise follow-up process with supporting letters.

Check out the “Appendices” tab in particular as that contains updated and revised tools for your firm. The organization mirrors the process, so you can easily locate what tools you need for each step of the process.

For example, if you want to figure out what goes into a Vision Meeting™ folder, all the pieces are together, in presentation order. Simply click, insert your firm logo and print.

There are 18 letters that support the process, from workshop enrollment to file closing.

In Appendix “F” we have revised versions of the design templates that more closely mirror the design software.

In Appendix “G” we have included sets of inserts for your client estate planning binders that provide an overview of each document, plus additional client planning pieces such as Memorial Instructions.

In addition, videos and webinars that support each step of the process are in the process of being relocated so that members can more easily educate themselves on specific steps in the process.

As we continue to develop additional tools for our members, they will be search indexed, and added into the appropriate steps of the processes.

I’m personally very excited about these changes, and would love to hear your feedback! Email me directly at ncatale@lawyerswithpurpose.com. And, if you're a member you have access to "How To Fully Implement The LWP Process" webinar on the members website.

If you want to learn more about the Lawyers With Purpose Estate Planning Process, please join us in Phoenix on October 20-22nd for our Practice With Purpose Program. Click here to register now and reserve your spot. Seats fill quickly so register today!

Nedra Catale – Coaching, Consulting and Implementation, Lawyers With Purpose

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Speeding Through Life

August 12, 2014

by Lawyers With Purpose with No Comment Team Building

So, this morning on the way to work I got a speeding ticket and as I sit and think about my actions it is bringing much to mind. How often do we speed through life…through our days…going from one thing to the next? We rush into our days, through our days, and then back home to rush through our evenings and our time spent with family and/or friends.

We say yes…we say no…But are we really giving the questions the proper thought, time and energy? Are we asking the right questions to ensure that what is being asked of us is going to be carried out in the best way possible and we are the best person to be doing so? Are we being present in our jobs…during our meetings….at home during dinner with our loved ones…putting our children to bed…or are we just passing through the fastest way possible to get to the next thing that has to be done? Are we "checking out" and driving in the fast lane with no absolute destination and not giving attention to all the beautiful little moments in between that really mean so much?

Amazing the thoughts that one (not so) little speeding ticket can bring to mind! We all need to remind ourselves of the value we bring every day…in taking the time to do every little item in our days with intent, purpose and our true being. Driving in the fast lane is not all it's cracked up to be…you miss so much…you lose so much…you can even lose yourself.

Being present in the moment is what is calling to me right now…in life…in work…in my family. Be present and be true…and don't let the temptation of the fast lane pull you in…there is so much you will miss along the way.

I challenge you all to take stock…look at your life, your loves, your work, your passions. Make sure you are present to what is happening every day…make decisions based on knowledge, asking the right questions, and the all-important "gut check". Become the owner of your life and your decisions…don't be that driver speeding by just trying to get to the next checkpoint the quickest way possible.

If you are interested in learning more about Lawyers With Purpose and want to experience first hand the impact it can have on your estate or elder law practice, join us in Phoenix October 20-22nd for our Practice With Purpose Program. If you're an existing member and want to attend, please contact Angela at acrowther@lawyerswithpurpose.com.

Marci Otts – Director of Operations, Lawyers With Purpose

It’s Time To Report!

August 1, 2014

by Lawyers With Purpose with No Comment Coaching & Implementation Legal Marketing Systems & Processes

As a former school teacher I’ve had ample opportunity to be on both sides of reports cards – both getting grades, and giving them. When we were children, report cards are handed out primarily for our parents’ benefit. The further we go with our education, the less grading is for parents, but to give us as adults, a means to measure our successes … or failures.

Even though most of us have finished our formal education, and few of us measure our progress through life with grades, we continue to use numbers to measure our successes and achievements.

“How many pounds have I lost on this diet? How many days have I gone without smoking? How many miles did I walk? How much did I earn this year compared to years past?”

We know that an essential key to success is writing down one’s goals. But those who are successful also document their progress in a consistent way, so that their path to success can be adjusted if need be.

The Pipeline Focuser™, one of the LWP Five Key Focusers, provides a format to document weekly progress by tracking: 1) the number of initial or vision meetings scheduled each week; 2) the outcome of each of those meetings; and, 3) the total dollar amount of engagement agreement value for the week.

The Pipeline Focuser™ is probably the least understood focuser of the Five Key Focusers. But the information it captures documents an important aspect of your firm’s growth and is directly reflected in your monthly revenue.

Take a look at the sample, completed through the end of the week. Note how the focuser reflects the meetings on the firm’s calendar. This focuser is ready to be reviewed by the team in their weekly staff meeting, together with the focuser for next week, which will show the potential new clients and matters for next week. It will also indicate which prospects did not engage, and what further action may be needed (see the Follow-up Focuser™). Here is your firm’s weekly report card.

If your firm is not currently tracking this information, either through the Pipeline Focuser™, or some other system, I hope you will make this a part of your firm culture going forward.

If you want to learn more about Lawyers With Purpose and are interested in attending our Practice With Purpose Program to learn more about Medicaid, Asset Protection and VA, click here to register today to reserve your spot. We'll see you in Phoenix in October!

Nedra, Catale – Coaching, Consulting & Implementation, Lawyers With Purpose

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I Have No Clue What She Does All Day

July 30, 2014

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

How many of you have truthfully cried out, “I have no idea what she does all day” about your Director of First Impressions as you juggle client appointments, synergy meetings, internal meetings, document reviews and “emergency” calls with your teenage kids while on summer break? I personally hear this no fewer than 20 times a week from entrepreneurs across the map.

Such unfortunate hallway comments are not meant to be a criticism or judgment about the employee. The intent is not to imply that the employer believes she/he is messing around on Facebook all day. The truth of the matter is that when a business owner has that feeling of “I don’t know what she does all day,” it is indicative of a business that is not operating with an organizational structure that relies on job descriptions with weekly tracking and accountability. It’s actually because the business owner is behind closed doors all day in back-to-back meetings, painfully aware of the insane schedule, with little hope of addressing a growling stomach, an overloaded inbox and pressing family obligations.

If you have that sinking feeling about any of your team members, chances are it is not the person but a training and communication matter. Fortunately, this is a very easy fix. And within 30 days you will know if it is actually a case of wrong person, wrong role and how to course-correct. Your CC & I coach can help you create a path and plan to review the employee’s job description, the CC & I suggested 90-Day Training Plan and how to track and measure for weekly effectiveness, all in one hour. Together, you will also conduct a communication analysis to compare each person on your team’s Kolbe, Strength Finder and Languages of Appreciation to determine how to establish consistent, effective communication to ensure you never have that sinking feeling again.

So, if you’ve found yourself saying, “I have no clue what she does all day,” contact ncatale@lawyerswithpurpose.com to schedule your LWP CC & I member call to support your communications efforts.

If you want to learn more about Lawyers With Purpose and what we have to offer, please join us in Phoenix October 20th – 22nd for our Asset Protection, Medicaid and VA Practice With Purpose Program. Register today, seats fill up fast!

Molly L. Hall, Co-Founder, Lawyers with Purpose, LLC, and author of Don’t Be a Yes Chick: How to Stop Babysitting Your Boss, Transform Your Job and Work with a Dream Team Without Losing Your Sanity or Your Spirit in the Process

Does Your Car Have A Name?

July 29, 2014

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

The “Fact-Finder” in me was interested to learn that Nationwide Insurance surveyed more than 1,000 car owners last September and discovered that nearly 25% of us have named our cars. In fact, women are significantly more likely to have a nickname for their cars than men (27% vs. 17%).

Next week my “Bessie” has an appointment with our mechanic for a going over. She’s getting a new timing belt (ouch!), a change of transmission fluid, and I think he mentioned something about a 38 point check. When I get my Bessie back, she will be thoroughly checked out. I’ll find out from the experts if there is anything else that I need to be concerned about.

Did you know that LWP offers a similar service for you and your team? Our Implementation Coaches have a point-by-point checklist where we can “check you out” and identify holes in your processes, areas where you may want additional coaching, and even pinpoint potential problems you may not see coming.

Some of our members have asked for an overview of the training and support provided by the Implementation Coaching team. This can be found on the LWP member website, under the last tab – Implementation—in the Introduction folder. In fact, the entire Implementation tab has been reorganized to provide immediate and direct access to the tools needed to progress through the learning path.

Each Module has been set up to support the work that your Implementation Coach does with you and your team. If you’ve not been on the website in a while, I hope you’ll make a point of checking out the reorganization and addition of new tools.

And please – let us know your thoughts! We value your feedback.

If you are interested in attending our Practice With Purpose Program, register and reserve your spot today! This event always sells out and will teach you all you need to know to run an efficient and successful estate planning / elder law practice. We look forward to seeing you in the room.

Nedra, Catale – Coaching, Consulting & Implementation, Lawyers With Purpose

What’s Your Snausage?

July 15, 2014

by Lawyers With Purpose with 3 Comments Coaching & Implementation

My dogs are great! They’re beautiful, smart, loving and fairly obedient. (OK, your dogs are all right, too.) But my dogs are great!!

When Samantha was a puppy, her favorite treats were “Snausages.” I haven’t seen them on the market in a while and we long ago moved on to other treats, but Snausages were a hard act to follow. My younger daughter taught Sam to roll over for a Snausage and just taking the bag out of the panty would cause Sam to stop, drop and roll …. over and over and over without stopping until she was rewarded.

Sam’s love for Snausages prompted a philosophical family discussion that I still find fascinating. The question is – “What is your Snausage?”

So picture this – me, literally stopping, dropping and rolling across the floor over and over again … for what? My Snausage for a long time was my mom’s hot apricot cobbler with a scoop of Breyer’s Home-Made Vanilla ice cream on top. But in recent years I’ve tried to stop making my life about food as a reward, and to focus on “feeding” my inner child, or should I say “dog,” in other ways.

I’ve discovered that the best rewards are not the ones I give myself, but the ones that are given to me from others. And I’ve discovered that other people feel the same way. So how can I give you a Snausage?

First, I need to discover what you really want and need, and then figure out how to give it to you.

As implementation coaches, we often suggest that teams review The 5 Languages of Appreciation by doctors Gary Chapman and Paul White. Chapman and White have been incredibly generous to share their quiz on line, together with a brief interpretation of the results. Have your team members take just a few minutes to go through the quiz, and share the results in a team meeting. You’ll discover the best way to motivate and appreciate each member.

Then share this story, and just for fun … ask them what their “Snausage” is.

I’d love to hear from you! Drop me a line at ncatale@lawyerswithpurpose.com with “Snausage” as the subject. What’s your “Snausage?”

Nedra Catale – Coaching, Consulting & Implementation, Lawyers With Purpose

What Does That Mean?

July 10, 2014

by Lawyers With Purpose with 2 Comments Coaching & Implementation Legal Marketing

A few years ago my younger daughter and I splurged and spent 12 days in Italy, a country I had long longed to visit. The trip was utterly amazing and we managed fairly well despite the language barrier. I guess I must look somewhat native because on two separate occasions Italians approached me for directions and I could only laugh helplessly and indicate that I didn’t speak Italian.

Recently, I’ve noticed advertising for some pretty spectacular audio travel translators and find myself wondering how having one of those high tech gizmos would have impacted our trip.

What would be even better is if we had been able to take and master a crash course in Italian!

I was reminded of language differences some time back when preparing to launch an RMS process targeting nursing homes. An attorney at another law firm was coaching me in how to set up our campaign.

We were role playing conversations and approaches and she ran a couple of phrases in nursing home lingo past me but it was as if she were speaking Italian.

I stopped her and said, “Wait! What does that mean?”

“Have you reviewed the nursing home RMS material on the website?” she asked me.

“No, I meant to, but haven’t had time,” I replied.

Hmmmm …… What’s wrong with this picture?

A representative from a law firm positioning itself as expert in the area of Medicaid and VA is going to walk into a nursing home and introduce herself, but will be unable to understand or communicate in their language nor understand their priorities.

Well, worse things have happened. But the point is, the LWP website has hours of materials that can have you speaking “Italian” in no time. You’ll get valuable insight from other professionals who have had incredible success in establishing relationships with nursing homes. Spending the time to work through these materials will give you a true competitive edge from the moment you walk in the door.

What you say and how you present yourself in those first few minutes can mean the difference between being easily forgotten or positioning your practice for consideration as their “go-to” firm for VA and Medicaid apps.

So if your firm is considering a nursing home RMS process, I really hope you’ll brush up on your language skills first! And practice, practice, practice before you knock on the door.

Nedra Catale – Implementation Coach, Lawyers With Purpose

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Multi-Disciplinary Team Of Professional Advisors

July 9, 2014

by Lawyers With Purpose with No Comment SNT

Assembling a multi-disciplinary team of allied professionals to advise an elder on a consistent periodic basis can contribute significantly to the prevention of elder financial abuse. Key members of such a team could include the following.

National Elder Law Foundation

http://www.nelf.org/

Geriatric care manager

National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers (NAPGCM)

http://www.caremanager.org/

Life care planner

American Association of Nurse Life Care Planners (AANLCP)

http://www.aanlcp.org/

Investment advisor

Investment Advisor Search

http://www.investmentadvisorsearch.com/

SEC’S Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website

http://www.adviserinfo.sec.gov/

Government benefits specialist

Benefits.gov

http://www.benefits.gov/

Home accessibility specialist

Accessibility Professionals Association (APA)

http://www.accessibilityprofessionals.org/

Accountant

American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)

http://www.aicpa.org/

Household manager

International Concierge and Lifestyle Management Association (ICLMA)

http://iclma.org/

Bookkeeper or bill payer service

National Association of Certified Public Bookkeepers (NACPB)

http://www.nacpb.org/

American Association of Daily Money Managers

http://www.aadmm.com/

Elder mediator

Academy of Professional Family Mediators (APFM)

http://www.apfmnet.org/

While the compensation of all of these allied professionals can be costly, the end result of their team efforts could save the elder multiples of that cost if significant financial abuse and exploitation is forestalled.

Kristen M. Lewis, Esq., Member of the Special Needs Alliance and Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel.

The Medicaid Aspects In The Estate Planning Drafting Software

July 8, 2014

by David Zumpano with No Comment Asset Protection Estate Planning Drafting Software Medicaid

Our Medicaid software is industry-changing. We've designed software with artificial intelligence – it knows the applicable laws and exemptions as you enter clients' information. Not only does it tell you the plan of action to take, but it also designs the funding plan and drafts an opinion letter for you to give to clients.

Click this link to watch the video of Dave discussing the unique Medicaid aspects of the software.

Congratulations To Terry Moynihan, LWP Member Of The Month

July 7, 2014

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

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

Our greatest success to date is implementation of the workshop system. The public is responding to our "7 Threats" advertising campaign and we appreciate that LWP has provided high quality presentation and promotional materials. These have allowed us to get up and running with the workshops pretty quickly.

We also value the well-developed procedures for workshop set-up, presentation and follow-up. With each workshop we present, the entire process becomes more efficient and we become more confident that this system will be a key component of our growth and prosperity.

What is your favorite LWP tool?

Our favorite LWP tools are the Pipeline and Cash Flow Focusers.

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

The biggest impact from being part of LWP came out of our attendance at the June Retreat, in Chicago. Using the tools provided, we have been able to unify our team around well-defined processes and specific goals. We now have a clearer idea of where we are going and what we need to do to achieve practice goals.