Social Media Risk Management Toolkit

Wanting to learn more about social media? Wanting to know what you need to do to prudently engage in social media as part of your law practice marketing?  The good folks at NAVEX Global and JD Supra are here for you.  They have published on online social media risk management toolkit.

Sage advice within this 32 page guide includes policy defining, goal setting, identifying risk, implementation, and much more.  The toolkit is packed with info and certainly work a look to ensure that you are ethically and professionally engaging in social media.  Please click here for a look.

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Readdle Is Holding A Sale!

Readdle is a great application developer.  I love their stuff.  Today, Readdle apps are also on sale. To celebrate its 6th Anniversary Readdle is offering up to a 70% discount on many of its apps. Click here for the details, and to go shopping.

Please visit hardinglaw.com for more information about Harding & Associates Family Law

#readdle #appsale#Harding&AssociatesFamilyLaw #californiafamilylaw #divorce #family law #superlawyers #americanacademyofmatrimoniallawyers #Pleasantondivorce #AlamedaCountyDivorce #ContraCostaCountyDivorce #lawyers

Devices Going Big and the iPad Suit - Is that A Tablet In Your Pocket?

BGR, in part quoting The Wall Street Journal, says Apple is specking out a bigger smartphone screen and a 13 inch iPad screen.  These developments would appear to fall in line with the bigger is better trend hitting the mobile device world.  "Phablet" is the new buzz word in mobile devices. The combination device is intended to give tablet users a screen they can read without a magnifying glass, and a device that they call simultaneously call on.  Samsung has plans to roll out a new phablet design of its own, as does LG. Other developers will clearly follow the lead of these mobile titans.

The phablet is a hard call for me.  With middle age I now must resort to my cheater reading glasses more often. That makes using my iPhone more challenging.  At the same time, I cannot envision dropping my iPad in my pocket, as I do with my iPhone.  I could see using a phablet with a Bluetooth headset, but I cannot imagine walking around town with it pressed against my ear.  For the time being it looks like I will continue to be a two device guy.

Regarding that pocket problem I mentioned, there is a solution.  The iPad suit!  Yes, that's right. For the gentleman who wants everything there is now a bespoke tailored suit that includes a large interior pocket in the coat for the discreet storage of your tablet.  Fun stuff!

Please visit hardinglaw.com for more information about Harding & Associates Family Law

#phablet #ipadsuit #mohans #Harding&AssociatesFamilyLaw #californiafamilylaw #divorce #family law #superlawyers #americanacademyofmatrimoniallawyers #Pleasantondivorce #AlamedaCountyDivorce #ContraCostaCountyDivorce #lawyers

Charging For The Initial Consulation

Almost two years ago I wrote about my practice of charging for an initial consultation -- and how the decision to do so was a very positive change for my practice.  I still do charge for the initial consultation and it has only improved my practice. I also continue to chat with other lawyers about how they handle consultations. Most lawyers that I consider top shelf do charge for consultations, but how much and what they do during the consultation is still quite varied.

Ed Poll is  law practice consultant.  He publishes an excellent blog called Law Biz Blog.  He has recently posted a videocast detailing his thoughts on charging for an initial consultation (and yes, he does think we should charge for it).  Click here to view Ed's thoughts.

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Saying Thanks For The Referral

I make referrals to other lawyers.  I make those referrals so that the client can be introduced to a qualified attorney.  I also make them so that the attorney can land a new, paying client.  When I make a referral I go out of my way pair the two people, and to pass on to the potential client the contact information for the potential lawyer.  I also let the lawyer know that he or she can expect a contact.  I don't expect a return contact from the attorney, but it is nice when I get one; and I pay more attention to those who do respond to my referrals.

When I receive a referral from another lawyer (or from anyone else for that matter) I go out of my way to say thanks.  At the very least I send a handwritten note to the referring attorney.  Not an email, not an e-card, but an actual note written in ink on paper, that is then mailed to the lawyer.  I also make a thank you phone call.  If I get a series of referrals from someone I will typically send a gift (a nice bottle of wine, a hosted lunch, or a copy of a popular book are examples).

I am sure there are many of you out there asking "why go to the trouble?"  I know you are asking that because I know you are not thanking me when I send referrals to you.  You aren't doing it, but you should be doing it.  Referrals are the life blood of every practice.  If I want you to keep sending me more referrals, I need to keep my name fresh in your mental rolodex. Taking the time to send a note of thanks demonstrates how much I appreciate the thought and effort that goes in to a referral.  You appreciate my return effort, you make a mental note of it, and my name magically moves to the top of your mental referral list.

If you are like me, and you don't get that acknowledgment, you move that attorney to the bottom of your referral list, or you scratch him or her from the list altogether.  Some lawyers can afford to lose that $10,000, $20,000 a year in referred income.   Good for them.  Other cannot afford that loss. Those are the lawyers that need to stay on top of their referral thank yous.

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The Phablet

What is bigger than a smart phone, smaller than a tablet, and does the work of both?  It is the "phablet."  The first combination oversized smartphone/undersized tablet was the Samsung Galaxy Note.  Most pundits (myself included) laughed off this new profile as too much smartphone and too little tablet.  The pundits were wrong.  The Galaxy Note sold like hotcakes. 5,000,0000 units sold in half a year.

In a report published by ABI Research:  “One of the chief drivers for phablets is the amount of time people use their smartphones for web browsing, reading articles and newspapers on the go, or simply navigating their journeys . . . The larger screen sizes make a significant difference to the user’s experience when compared to conventional-sized touchscreens between 3.5 to 4 inches.”

Other manufacturers are getting on board.  LG has introduced its Optimus Vu.  Other brands are sure to follow.

LG Optimus Vu

It would appear that bigger is getting better in the mobile device world.

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Box as an alternative to Dropbox

Dropbox has taken the legal world by storm as the default cloud storage service.  I use the free service, and I love it.  Now Dropbox has some competition, and that competition is specifically targeting us lawyers.

box.com is another cloud storage service.  It is gaining users, and it is gaining fans in its competition with Dropbox. At his LawSites blog legal technology and marketing expert Robert Ambrogi compares the two products, and casts his vote in favor of box.  Robert's post is filled with comparisons, and reasons why he thinks box is better.  Check it out by clicking here.

Please visit hardinglaw.com for more information about Harding & Associates Family Law 

#Harding&AssociatesFamilyLaw #californiafamilylaw #divorce #family law #superlawyers #americanacademyofmatrimoniallawyers #Pleasantondivorce #AlamedaCountyDivorce #ContraCostaCountyDivorce #lawyers