I am forming a smaller, paid group of lawyers who want to focus on pragmatic issues in Estates, Probate and Estate Planning. It should be very much like the NSW Estate Lawyers group except with more value and interaction, as this group will be paid. I am only allowing a dozen people in initially while this group is in the trial, building phase. More than twelve people have been offered a spot so the group will be closed once twelve people register.
Summary
Where did this start?
I started the free Facebook group, NSW Estate Lawyers, because I deeply appreciate the collegiality of our profession and I saw a need for a place to discuss the various form over substance issues that we encounter in relation to Estate Planning and Estate Administration. There are some people who are keenly attending most or all of my webinars and I want to add more value for those people, along with giving them the opportunity to have more active feedback into the topics that I cover in these Webinars.
A group
I know that a paid group, which is essentially another subscription, seems an odd move at the moment but on seeking feedback it would appear that this is what people wanted. My primary goal is that the smaller paid group would be more collegiate, with more interaction both within the group and during Webinars. Membership in the group would include -
Free attendance at all Webinars that I run - the public facing Webinars will still continue, and if you are a member of this group you can attend those for free - I will commit to at least one repeat topic and one fresh topic a month.
At least one Webinar a month that is just for the group - these would be more focused on pragmatic realities of running a practice, and I am hoping they would be more of a facilitated conversation (what changes have you made recently to your marketing strategy, what are you finding is working etc.) and sharing information rather than me talking. However it will be your monthly Webinar if you want a different topic we will do that.
Answers from me to pragmatic questions that you raise in the group, and in situations that call for it a quick Zoom meeting that others in the group can attend where I go through the answer and record it, to make it easier for others to find the answer.
Access to all past Webinars, or past papers, that I have run.
A vote on the topics for the upcoming public facing Webinars.
The group will definitely run for three months, even if it turns out to be an ineffective choice on my part. As this group will be in the trial phase you will have a real impact on the direction and focus of the group into the future. I will not allow anyone else access for at least two months, while I am getting the direction set. The problem is always that there is so much that could be done, so we need to figure out the most efficient way to move forward.
The price for the initial twelve members would be $120 per month, and I would grandfather in the price. When the group is launched it will probably be $150 per month.
The main advantage (as I see it) of joining now is that the initial twelve will very much direct the flavour or focus of the group. When I started NSW Estate Lawyers we didn’t even have online Probate yet, it accidentally became a resource for that. As times goes on there are other pragmatic issues facing us like remote witnessing, elder abuse and clients who have seen too many adds for DIY Wills lowering the bar.
I am very happy to move with what people find valuable within the basic structure and my own limitations (so I won’t pretend to be a tax expert for instance). My focus will remain, as it always has, on pragmatic realities of being a solicitor. Yes we need to know high level, complex legal concepts, but what does that look like in your business this week?
Price
Next steps
If you would like to be part of the group then the next step is to sign up and pay. If you are not a “Facebook friend” of mine then you should reach out to me (there is only one Janis Donnelly-Coode on Facebook) and friend request me so that I can add you to the private group.
Unfortunately setting up a membership for only three (or six or twelve) months is a little janky. I can only set up an ongoing, for life subscription. You can of course cancel after three months. If anyone is aware of a platform that allows me to set up a three month or six month subscription that isn’t using buy now pay later credit facilities I would love to hear about it. In any event you would sign up via Stripe, as a subscription, and the button for that is below.
As always if you have any questions send me an email at janis@janisconsults.com