Practice News

Want to get paid faster? First, always walk your client through the initial bill. Second, don't omit details or use shorthand abbreviations on your bills. Third, never delay sending your bill -- especially after a favorable outcome. Fourth, make it as easy as possible for your client to pay you (e.g., via credit card). Finally, the only thing better than being paid immediately after sending a bill is being paid in advance via a security retainer or an advance payment retainer. Find out more from the Clio blog and the September Illinois Bar Journal.

Asked and Answered

By John W. Olmstead, MBA, Ph.D, CMC

Q. I am the owner of an estate planning practice in Chicago's northwest suburbs. I have two associates and four staff members. I am 67 and would like to retire when I am 70 (3 years). I have no idea as to where I should start and the approach I should take. I would appreciate suggestions.

Recent amendments to the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act create a formula for calculating spousal maintenance that factors in the spouses' incomes and the length of their marriage. The amendments also affect child support because an increase in maintenance now corresponds to an -- often dramatic -- child-support decrease.

The new maintenance formula is triggered only if a judge first determines that maintenance is appropriate, and only if the combined gross income of the parties is less than $250,000 and no multiple family situation exists.

But though the formula was supposed to make outcomes more consistent, the statutory language creates its own puzzles. Questions about how to calculate gross income, the implications of deviating from the guidelines, and other factors are probably headed for the reviewing courts. Find out more in the September Illinois Bar Journal.

Discover how cloud storage and document assembly can help you and your staff run your office more efficiently and profitably with this half-day seminar on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015. Practitioners with all levels of practice experience who attend this seminar will gain a better understanding of: the current state of cloud storage for electronic documents; the differences between do-it-yourself cloud storage (such as Dropbox) and document management systems (such as NetDocuments); how to use various document assembly programs to produce documents more efficiently by automating repetitive tasks; what “going paperless” really means and how you can get started; the State’s ethics opinions surrounding the management and storage of electronic data and the professional responsibility requirements for practitioners who use this technology; and much more!

The program is presented by the ISBA Standing Committee on Legal Technology and qualifies for 4.0 hours MCLE credit, including 4.0 hours Professional Responsibility MCLE credit (subject to approval).

Click here for more information and to register.