What About the Children's Money?
Custodial accounts established for the parties' children during the marriage can constitute significant assets. But whose money is it, and how can it be used? Some parents view the custodial accounts as a convenient way to make up a shortfall in the income available to meet support payments and property settlement obligations. Because the unilateral expenditure of children's funds is almost guaranteed to generate a new series of disputes between the parties, it can be helpful for the lawyer to discuss the children's money with the client, emphasizing what can - and cannot - be done with it.
Family Limited Partnerships
<b><i>Attacking the Entity to Get Your Client a Fair Settlement</i></b> Family limited partnerships and limited liability companies (collectively, FLPs) are ubiquitous in estate and asset protection planning. The odds are that you will encounter one or more FLPs in discovery with increasing frequency. The question is, what do they mean to the divorce negotiations and settlement, and how can you be certain that your client gets a fair deal?
Divorcing a Jailed Spouse
There is no question that under New York law, having a jailed spouse is grounds for divorce, but one appeals court is divided on how much time a free spouse has to act on that option.
Dealing with Clash of Styles
The thing about going out and getting new business," said a partner in a large New York-based firm, "is that when you bring it in, it's one of the greatest feelings you can have!" If everyone was so motivated, if every lawyer or professional felt that way, there would be no lacking for business and a smile on the face of every firm marketing manager. Strangely enough, if such a utopia existed, there would still be potential for some sticky problems -- the solutions for which require savvy marketing management and fostering of a teamwork culture.
'Who's the Boss' Can Make a Difference in a CMO's Success
Q: What is the difference between a COO and a CMO? <p>A: One saves money and the other spends money.<p>One of the key factors to a successful run as a law firm marketing exec is to whom that individual reports. If the answer is Chief Operating Officer (COO) or Executive Director (ED), I become the great skeptic as to whether or not any marketing program can achieve success. However, I do believe that both can coexist and help the firm's marketing efforts move forward.
Ask the Coach
This month's questions:<p>What do you do when, despite having a good relationship with a client, you struggle to reach agreement on such things as rate increases, staffing, etc. <p>In the interest of cross-selling, I often have a colleague or two accompany me on initial sales calls. How do you manage or choreograph interaction among three to four people? <p>At some point in any sale, buyers usually request references. What's the best way to handle this?
A View from the 'Upper Deck': Top-Down Marketing
Lawyers are in the business of providing information to their clients. The issue, which perplexes most lawyers, is how to effectively and efficiently convey the right information to the right people at the right time so that they will hire the firm to answer their questions and solve their problems.
