Third-Party Litigation Financing and Ethical Traps for the Unwary Lawyer
Dangers associated with third-party financing of litigation cases. Read More +
Trust Account Maintenance
Trust Account Maintenance is an ongoing job. Below are 5 steps to assist with that process. Step 1: Review all outstanding checks. This must be done before you can truly evaluate the client ledger balances. A ledger with a $0.00 balance listing checks that have not cleared the bank is a prob… Read More +
Practicing Law in a Post-Marriage Equality North Carolina: Issues Spotting for the Non-Family Law Practitioner
North Carolina’s constitutional ban on same sex marriage, Amendment One, was struck down on October 10, 2014 by Judge Cogburn in Gen. Synod of the United Church of Christ v. Resinger. 12 F. Supp. 3d 790, 791 (W.D.N.C. 2014). Not a full year later, after working its way to the Supreme Court, Obergefell v. … Read More +
Time to Plan! Retirement and Estate Planning for the Small Firm Partner or Solo Practitioner
The fundamental principal of estate planning is to anticipate and prepare for the major life events, particularly, what will happen to one’s property upon disability or death. The same line of thought can and should be applied to your law practice. Preparing and implementing a plan for your pr… Read More +
That Time I Met Vlad the Impaler in Divorce Court
October is the month we celebrate our worst nightmares. We masquerade as monsters. We play dirty tricks. We go around scaring people – and expect to be rewarded for it. All in a day’s work for us lawyers. Back in the early ‘80s when I was practicing in Charleston, SC there was a divorce law… Read More +
Starting Out or Slowing Down: Is ‘Of Counsel’ Right for You?
Career situations where an 'Of Counsel' relationship may be a good option. Read More +
Falling Leaves and Practicing Law
Taking a step back to look at the world outside of the legal profession. Read More +
Filling the Gaps in your Insurance Coverage
Tips for protecting your law firm from cyber crimes via better insurance coverage. Read More +
Why Professional Liability Premiums Change: Factors that Affect Pricing
Discussion regarding factors that affect liability premium rates. Read More +
Fraud Update: Compromised Wire Instructions
Updated information regarding variations on wire instructions fraud attempts. Read More +
Tips About The Trust Account: Proper Endorsement
We have all read articles about disciplinary action being taken against an attorney where the cause was listed as “clerical errors”. We envision an unorganized desk, and a bookkeeper shopping online, or chatting on Facebook. I know from experience that is not typically the case.… Read More +
Dealing with Documents
Some of the most common practice management questions we receive at Lawyers Mutual relate to file retention and destruction. New lawyers want to set up an organized, efficient document management system to meet the needs of their practice. Retiring lawyers want to know what to do with all the paper … Read More +
‘I’m Thinking of a Number Between 1 and…’ What’s Your Law Practice’s Valuation Number?
Every Law Practice Has A Quantifiable And Marketable Value Of Its Own My law practice has value? Seriously? Seriously. Like any other business, each law practice has a separate and marketable value of its own. You have built and managed a proven business model. The tasks that were difficult years ago when you … Read More +
How Secure Is Your Email?
Have you ever worried about the security of your email? If you have, you are probably not unlike many people who transmit sensitive data electronically. Some of the most widely used types of email services use Transport Layer Security (“TLS”) to encrypt your message (Gmail, Yahoo!, Outlook.com, Exc… Read More +
Legal Marketing: Are You a “Do-It-Yourselfer”?
Do you need help deciphering marketing jargon and understanding analytics? Are you promoting your law firm on a shoestring budget? If so, register now for the DIY Legal Marketing Workshop to be held August 7 at Campbell Law School. Legal marketing professionals from the Triangle will be sharing tips designed f… Read More +
Mobile Security for the Family Lawyer
Consider this scenario: a client has retained your domestic law firm to help her plan for a future separation from her spouse. When you meet, the client makes clear that her spouse does not know of the separation plans and she does not want him to find it out. She makes it clear that she does not even want her … Read More +
Solo or Small Firm Practitioners – How to Prepare for Extended Leave
I met my newborn daughter in April of 2014. Although I knew the approximate timeframe and duration I would be away from my firm for adoption/maternity leave, and I did what I could to plan accordingly, it was very challenging as a solo practitioner to manage everything while I was out of the office for ne… Read More +
Hit by a Bus, What Now?
Imagine a scenario where your only employee, your valued paralegal or legal assistant, is suddenly out of the office for an extended period of time. Where is the court calendar? How do you access your client database? How do you create month end bills in your time keeping system? Everything effecting your clie… Read More +
Will You Find Yourself in Bankruptcy Court Following Wellness International?
How the Wellness International ruling may effect attorneys attorneys in areas of practice beyond bankruptcy. Read More +
What Is the Best Way To Sell Your Law Firm?
Methods for transitioning your law firm when your ready to retire. Read More +