About DAP Estate Planning
Click here if you would like to read about my background.
Please find below the eight core values that guide how I practice law.
Value
Client-Focused
Your unique situation has my unhurried attention
I begin with the prospective client. (That’s you). The relevant question is simple and yet has profound consequences.
What do you need, and how can that be done in the best way possible?
To provide maximum value, an attorney should be a strategic partner and not merely a service provider who produces documents.
Your story is important and provides a gloss to the actual legal issues.
Specifically, I want to understand your motivations, your intentions, and your goals.
The ⭐ bottom line ⭐ is that I might often direct the conversation, but I will never mechanically seek out legal facts while being unaware that I am speaking to another human who has an important concern.
Communication
Too often, lawyers talk ‘legalese’ at people.
While legal terms of art are unavoidable, it is a mark of mastery to explain a technical issue in a way that is understandable to a person without the relevant technical expertise.
Law explained & questions answered in plain English
If I do not succeed, I hope you will ask me questions as my aim is not to leave you wowed with my legal know-how.
Additionally, I aim to be available to my clients to answer questions when they have them.
The ⭐ bottom line ⭐ is that I want you to understand what is going on throughout the entirety of our professional relationship.
Costs
Know upfront what you pay and what you will get
The billable hour is axed. If I can’t quote you a price, then I am probably not the right lawyer to do what you need to be done.
For most situations, this entails a simple proposition of the form, “for x amount I will do y.”
For ongoing matters, this entails an “outside” general counsel model. Specifically, “ for x amount I will do y—and am available to discuss y whenever you like—for period z.”
In the latter case, I may not have an exact idea of what may come up.
If so, I will discount my expected time investment in your favor. Simply put, it only seems fair that I bear the risk of a poor forecast.
The ⭐ bottom line ⭐ is that you’ll never receive an unexpected bill from me. You will know, in advance, what you will be paying and what you will be getting.
Creative Solutions
My experience as an entrepreneur has taught me that what is considered impossible is not unlikely to be proven possible with creativity and perseverance.
A “can do” attitude toward solving your legal problems
Sure, part of what I do is to advise on risk, and at times, my advice will be that the expected reward is not justified by that risk. But, if that is the answer, know that I have pondered the issue and have done more than provide a default “no.”
The ⭐ bottom line ⭐ is I have a “can-do” attitude and will do all I can to help you devise a solution.
Expertise
Highest quality documents that work when needed
I want you to know that when I say something, you can count on it.
Further, I want you to know that if I don’t know something, I will research and figure it out.
When hiring a professional, you should expect as much.
The ⭐ bottom line ⭐ is that your trust me with a lot, and I take earning that trust seriously.
Integrated Approach
Humans like to put things in neat little boxes.
But, the real world is too complex to make this approach sensible in most situations.
For lawyers, the added benefit is keeping things simple on their end. On this, I am unimpressed by the “estate planning lawyer” who cannot competently handle a business succession plan because it’s a “business matter.”
Similarly, I am unimpressed by the business lawyer who can’t competently speak on tax issues central to business law.
Here, the simple truth is that tax often drives business concerns. It’s that important. So, “ask your accountant” is not an answer you want to hear when you ask a basic tax question.
Competency to provide integrated legal services
Is there a time for a specialist? Absolutely. You don’t hire a bus driver to fly a plane. But, you also don’t hire a bus driver who insists on only driving in one lane of a multi-lane highway.
The ⭐ bottom line ⭐ is that you should be cognizant of actual, meaningful distinctions between disciplines and artificial distinctions that have no basis in the real world.
No Sales Tactics
We just talk to see if we should work together
I really hate sales tactics.
A good way to ensure that I don’t make a purchase is to inform me of the “one day only” sale. Why wouldn’t you want me to do my due diligence?
Or the “pay a refundable amount to keep the one-day sale window open” offer. This makes me feel like I’m being sold to and that the salesperson feels the need to keep me “hooked.”
Perhaps these tactics, on average, work. That would explain why they are so common.
Nonetheless, I don’t use them because I dislike when they are used on me.
The ⭐ bottom line ⭐ is that I want to have a conversation to understand your situation and to explain your legal options. From there, I want you to make an informed decision without pressure from me.
Integrated Approach
Humans like to put things in neat little boxes.
But, the real world is too complex to make this approach sensible in most situations.
For lawyers, the added benefit is keeping things simple on their end. On this, I am unimpressed by the “estate planning lawyer” who cannot competently handle a business succession plan because it’s a “business matter.”
Similarly, I am unimpressed by the business lawyer who can’t competently speak on tax issues central to business law.
Here, the simple truth is that tax often drives business concerns. It’s that important. So, “ask your accountant” is not an answer you want to hear when you ask a basic tax question.
Competency to provide integrated legal services
Is there a time for a specialist? Absolutely. You don’t hire a bus driver to fly a plane. But, you also don’t hire a bus driver who insists on only driving in one lane of a multi-lane highway.
The ⭐ bottom line ⭐ is that you should be cognizant of actual, meaningful distinctions between disciplines and artificial distinctions that have no basis in the real world.
Virtual Law
Through technology, the world is becoming more interconnected and thus smaller.
I pride myself on being technologically affluent, especially when compared to the average lawyer.
Tech-savvy & equipped to deal with the digital world
My first company was an internet company that developed software. I am a Linux user and bought my first cryptocurrency a decade ago.
The ⭐ bottom line ⭐ is that I can practice law in the modern world, which requires an ever-increasing understanding of technology.
Conclusion
I am certainly not the first attorney to realize that there is a better way to practice law. But, I am uniquely situated to do so because I spent over a decade hiring and working with lawyers before I matriculated to law school.
And, my sincere aim is to provide the best legal services possible.