The topic of this blog post is choosing wisely, grasshopper. We’re going to talk about how the education of your attorney is so important.
Why is it important? I was recently at a elder law immersion bootcamp in Tampa, Florida, learning advanced planning and strategy with attorneys from across the country. Simply getting the education down there is a great value in itself.
But if I’m just showing up, just taking in the information that’s put out, that’s one thing. That’s really a minor part of what we were doing.
We’re staying up on changes on federal and state laws. This complicated area of law changes all the time. For example, federal regulations and state medicaid laws are constantly updated. As well as tax laws, trust rules, and other things of that nature.
So keeping up to date on those changes, learning cutting edge tools and strategies, the new developments, and new types of trusts, revocable and irrevocable.
Then communicating with other leading attorneys from across the nation who really know their stuff. Getting out of my box in Shelby and the Charlotte area of North Carolina and seeing what other people from around the country are doing. It’s so important to educate yourself in any profession, but it’s definitely something to look at if you’re searching for an attorney.
You want somebody who’s getting out of their comfort zone, who’s not just confining themselves – not dabbling.
Do not dabble in any area of law, especially not elder law. I think any good attorney will tell you this.
In any area you’re thinking about hiring an attorney, one of the greatest benefits is doing what I’m doing right now: talking to other attorneys. And conferring with them outside of the classroom setting, kind of a mastermind group.
Discussing different ideas, kicking things around – how to solve problems for a specific client or different scenarios that we can go through to be a better lawyer or run a better practice.
These things are extremely beneficial, as well as keeping those relationships up. So I can go to that well again and have a bevy of excellent leaders in their field around the country who can solve any problem that comes my way, crush any problem that comes our way.
Whether I know it or have seen it before or not, I’m going to have a deep bench. Some of you have heard me say that before, a really deep bench that I can go to, the groups that I’m involved in. And that’s the benefit of these types of conferences and being involved in national groups in a specific area of law.
