As an estate planning attorney, you must have access to the necessary research tools and information. When you have outdated information, it might cost your clients money and prevent their ultimate wishes from being met. When it comes to starting or expanding your estate planning resource collection and conducting estate planning research, there are several important factors to consider. These considerations will help you pick solutions that are compatible with your workflow and give accurate and up-to-date information throughout the process. When choosing research tools for estate planning, the following are some of the most crucial factors to consider.
Workflow Solutions With Unobtrusive Integration
As an estate planning professional, you may manage many cases at once, in addition to client meetings, court appearances, filing deadlines, and other tasks. The last thing you need is complicated research tools that complicate your already arduous task. Prioritize solutions that integrate directly with the other tools you use to eliminate unnecessary workflows and data entry.
For example, use estate planning research tools that work with practice management systems that enable automated synchronization of contact information, calendars, and case deadlines. It is also feasible to improve internal collaboration by using cloud-based solutions that allow many users to access information in real-time. Access to powerful search options, customizable folders, notes, and bookmarks makes it easier to organize research around specific scenarios or difficulties. Rather than generating interruptions in your organization, the research tools you employ should be able to increase productivity by integrating seamless processes.
Specific Procedure Instructions for Each County
Estate planning legislation, standards, and processes may differ significantly between counties and jurisdictions. When selecting research instruments, it is advised that you use materials that provide complete procedural instructions at a country-specific level. To properly handle a local estate planning case, it is critical to have this level of detail in order to fully understand the needed phases, documents, filing charges, and other key facts.
Priority should be given to sites that provide state-level procedural guidelines as well as county-level information. This is because the regulations governing wills, trusts, asset distribution, and probate differ greatly from state to state. When dealing with an estate that crosses state boundaries, having a thorough understanding of the nuances of jurisdictional law allows you to prevent errors.
Present-Day Case Studies and Precedents Are Available
It is tremendously advantageous to be able to use relevant case studies and legal precedents when building estate plans for clients. This will allow you to drastically customize your strategy. Given the rapidity with which estate laws and regulations change, it is critical that your research tools contain a searchable library of case studies and precedents that is kept up to date in real-time. Your strategic advice might be severely harmed if you depend on examples that are no longer relevant.
Along with continuously updated information, you should seek research alternatives that allow you to select case studies and precedents by jurisdiction to identify the most relevant instances to advise on estate planning problems pertaining to your immediate region. Your credibility may be enhanced by giving them easy access to relevant contemporary precedents, which can instill trust in your advice.
A Wide Range of Secondary Sources
Selecting tools with a high level of secondary source information will help you boost your estate planning research and advice. Journals, practice guidelines, template papers, verdicts, transactions, and other materials may be included in this section. In addition to having decades of depth, you should look for breadth across a variety of estate-focused periodicals.
With tens of thousands of pages of practical analysis, expert views, up-to-date templates, and historical reference materials, you’ll have access to a plethora of resources to help you prepare for the complexities of estate planning. Find relevant insights quickly and simply by browsing this extensive selection of quality secondary sources, reducing the need to look for and cross-reference a variety of unique publications and archives.
Guidelines for Practice and Next Steps to Take
Estate planning comprises several moving aspects, such as living wills, trusts, beneficiary designations, and other components. It is difficult to traverse all of these shifting elements. Choosing research resources that provide comprehensive practice guides covering all aspects of estate planning is an excellent method to streamline the process for yourself.
On the other hand, while you are in the midst of an estate case, guidelines are not insufficient. You should search for solutions that go beyond theoretical advice and instead provide precise, tactical action steps for completing key estate planning tasks. What kind of papers and documents must be filed when creating a trust, for example? What are the most successful ways to design life insurance plans in various scenarios? Your queries will be addressed swiftly and efficiently with actionable guidance, helping you to keep cases moving forward smoothly.
Currently Available Opportunities for MCLE Compliance
As part of your professional responsibilities, you must meet continuous duties for compliance with Minimum Continuing Legal Education (MCLE). You may include this obligation into your daily workflow by using estate planning research tools that offer approved continuing legal education (CCLE) activities like courses, seminars, videos, and other types of educational information.
Choosing a research package that already incorporates MCLE components saves you the hassle of hunting for extra possibilities of interest. Accessing compliance activities through your research platform is easy and encourages you to engage with the information on a regular basis. This requires being current on the latest advancements in the legal system, as well as the most recent processes and best practices.
Examination of Expenses and Return on Investment
Take some time to look at the upfront and ongoing expenses of the many estate planning research tool options accessible on the market. The return on investment (ROI) should be assessed using the extent to which the solution will significantly boost your company’s capacity and efficiency over time. The availability of solutions that connect processes, give assistance for accurate execution, and include MCLE facilitates the ability to measure productivity benefits.
You can also evaluate technologies with different levels of commitment. For example, some service providers offer monthly subscriptions, but others need annual commitments. Instead of making a long-term commitment, you may begin with short-term access to a product to assess its suitability for your needs. Do not forget to take advantage of the reduced charge available to new admittees, solo practitioners, and attorneys working for small firms.
Efficient and User-Friendly Search and Navigation
Even when one has access to high-quality secondary sources, acquiring information is a frustrating experience due to the lack of a simple search function or interface. While you’re assessing the various options, run the tools through their usual research paces for the main categories of application. These include filtering by document type or practice area, searching for keywords across many sources, seeing analytical overviews, and creating study folders that can be shared with others.
It is critical to prioritize responsive tools that include complex search operators, recommended search queries, research history tracking, cross-linked results between relevant papers, and quick documents moving across folders. An overall pleasant user experience enhances the probability that your entire team will utilize the research platform on a regular basis and take full use of its features.
Spending time and being consistent is required to refine your estate planning knowledge, talents, and intuition. To ensure your success, arm yourself with research tools that are intended to ease rather than complicate the task. By prioritizing solutions that interact with your workflows, provide country-specific guidance, provide real-time case studies, deliver tactical recommendations, and include on-demand MCLE, you will have access to comprehensive resources that will allow you to scale both your expertise and your practice. Most importantly, employing research tools with care allows you to provide good counsel to consumers at the exact moment they need it most. If you’re interested, click here for further information.