Trust decanting is an underused strategy for estate planning that can add value to your practice. While very few clients are aware of this option, practices that offer it can have an advantage. Not only is this a great way to offer an important service to your clients, but it also distinguishes you as a practice among competitors.

Though you might not have thought about it yet or don't believe you need to — the look, or the design, of how you present your practice is critical to building your business. It is an important business investment. But it’s hard to know when new design is needed for your law firm when you’re the one running the business every day. That’s why thoughtful, proactive planning and appropriate resources can pay long-lasting dividends. In fact, it’s an important element to business success.

Step #1

In my younger days in the business of marketing and advertising, I was in a meeting with the Brand Director at Microsoft. When someone in the meeting referenced a brand project as “something we need to do” the Brand Director quickly corrected that person and said, “Our brand is not something we do. It’s who we are.” Profound? Sure. But it’s also very instructional when it’s time to think about your brand.

In a series of blog posts, I’ll outline what I consider to be the five most important steps in developing a brand vision for your law firm. One that makes you say “That’s who we are.”

But first, let’s quickly define what a “brand” is. It’s actually many things: