Accountants are trained in numbers. Architects are trained in design. And lawyers are trained in words.

As a lawyer, when you speak or write, you choose your words judiciously. Am I right?

Every.

Single.

Word.

Means.

Something.

Very.

Specific. 

That is all well and good when it comes to serving clients as a lawyer. Not as well or good when it comes to developing a marketing program (and, yes, I am intentionally taking creative license with my words here for effect).

Here’s the problem…

Lawyers can write. As a result, some think they can, and in fact should, …

Today’s tip is simply to share some basic reminders for making the most of your social media this coming year.

1. There is effort in social media. Pick one or two services/platforms/techs and schedule the time to actually work them.
2. Use all tech as intended. LinkedIn was created for business networking; twitter for little bits of you; Facebook for more personal connections.
3. Any social media postings will impact your digital image and credibility. Once you start – keep going; no fits and spurts for maximum SEO.
4. Fill in your profile. Use professional head shot – you want people to know, like

Personal tax rates have changed. The tax rate on income between $45,282 and $90,563 has dropped to 20.5 per cent from 22 per cent. Conversely, on income over $200,000, the rate has increased to 33 per cent from 29 percent.

TFSA contribution limits are lower. The TFSA contribution limit has dropped back to $5,500 in 2016 from $10,000 in 2015,  If you have not maxed out your contributions every year since TFSAs were introduced, you may have up to $46,500 in contribution room.

Donation credits have changed. For those earning over $200,000, there’s now a 33 per cent donation credit …

In this second of nine posts inspired by Justice Carole Curtis’s Dealing with the Difficult Client, we discuss the vengeful client. The vengeful client often has an agenda that is unlikely to be satisfied by legal means. This kind of client has a myopic focus of what goals should be met, and has few qualms about what must be done to meet those goals. Whether it’s an injustice or a personal vendetta, the vengeful client is highly motivated. For example, a family member fighting over an estate may be driven by agendas far beyond the pale – did he …

“Happy clients are all alike; every unhappy client is unhappy in one’s own way.” (Not Tolstoy)

This is the first in a series of articles inspired from Justice Carole Curtis’s Dealing with the Difficult Client (written when she was a lawyer). One of our most popular downloads, the article covers 9 kinds of difficult clients and how you can work with them. Let’s start with the angry client.

An angry client can take its toll on your ability to practice. Seasoned lawyers can likely recall their most angry clients by name and recite what happened and how. It’s not a …

It’s a new year. Some of us have resolutions that keep us true to what we want to get out of it. Those of us who don’t are still fresh from the holidays and keen on making the most of it. It’s a great time to start planning a retreat for your law firm. Perfect timing, in fact, if you’d like it to take place in the summer or fall.

So, today’s tip?

If you want your next law firm retreat to count, give it a purpose that’s sure to make a mark.

Don’t waste your previous day away with …

It seems there is never a shortage of bad news going around. 2016 has certainly had its share. Brexit, the unexpected presidency of Donald Trump, corporate restructures, not to mention turbulent financial markets. Most people approach the New Year with excitement and hope. However, what happens after the first bit of bad news hits your world? Whether its job loss, health crisis or stock market volatility? How do you handle it? What can you do learn from, thrive and find opportunity in it?

In baseball you can only score points/runs by taking risks. Playing it safe is not progress. Progress …

For many of us, getting and keeping client information and documents organized is a struggle.  Without a proper process in place, one generally ends up with piles, emails, notes and scraps of information all over the place – and by that I mean in both your physical office and on all your various devices and digital equipment.

Below I share with you 5 steps that anyone can take to get and keep each new client’s file, information and documents organized:

1. Create a client contact sheet.

A client contact sheet is exactly as it sounds – a sheet of paper …

In the past year, lawyers are reporting a more sophisticated kind of cybercrime: a hacker will gain access into a client’s email account and comb through the account to discover communications with the lawyer. The hacker will watch communications between the client and the lawyer until money finds its way into the lawyer’s trust account, such as when litigation is settled, a house is sold, or a corporate transaction is complete, the hacker will then pose as the client and send an email to the lawyer with instructions to redirect the funds into the hacker’s account.

In some cases the …

While it’s not quite as superficial as wearing flare jeans when straight cuts are in, there is an aspect to web design that is simply about keeping up with the times.

That said, deciding whether your law firm’s website is ready for an update goes quite a bit deeper than fashion sense.

So, if you’re wondering, if it’s time for a makeover or even a complete overhaul, it might be helpful to familiarize yourself with some of the qualities that exemplify modern websites:

• Multi-media – Gone are the days of the static, ‘brochure’ website. Today, visitors are expecting to have