On June 26, 2015 the United States Supreme Court issued its opinion in Obergefell v. Hodges, the name assigned to a series of consolidated cases on same-sex marriage rights. The Court ruled 5-4 in favor of the petitioners, holding that same-sex married couples are entitled to equal protection under the laws, and that their marriages must be recognized nationwide.

In an earlier blog, I reviewed the advantages of a strong referral network (CPAs, financial advisors, etc.) and how to make the most of this valuable resource for effective legal practice building. 

In this post, I’d like to “reverse field” for a moment and share some thoughts on how a partnership with you can add real value to a referral resource’s business.

When seeking new referral source relationships, the question of reciprocity is a common one:  “Will you, in turn, refer clients to me?” It’s a fair question and deserves a fair response. Because many of the clients an Estate Planning Attorney receives, already have a relationship with a Financial Advisor or CPA, is is very difficult for the attorney to reciprocate referrals. However, the question the referral source is really asking is:  “What’s the advantage to my business?” Or simply put, “What’s in it for me?” To that basic question, your response can be “Quite a bit, actually.”

The U.S. Supreme Court is set to decide in a matter of weeks whether the Constitution requires states to allow same-sex marriage. While many same-sex couples may be tempted to simply await a decision, waiting may not be the best strategy. To gain control of life decisions and estate planning, same-sex couples should put their wishes in writing now without waiting for the Supreme Court decision.