Big news!! I’m excited to announce that I will be joining Creative Planning Legal, P.A. at the first of October.
For me, and for my clients at The Bell Law Firm, P.A., this is a timely opportunity.
It will take some time to finish the transition, and more communication will follow for my clients, but I wanted to first share this news with readers of my website.
It is very important to me that you understand why I’m making this change.
A Few Key Reasons for the Change
I’m joining with Creative Planning Legal for a few key reasons:
1. This change creates an immediate business succession plan for my clients.
Creative Planning Legal has 30 attorneys, and they are growing as fast as they can reasonably grow. They also use the same estate planning software as we do, and that is very critical for business succession. So, this opportunity creates a great landing spot for my clients. Hey, I might want to retire someday! Additionally, since they use the same software, this technology benefit helps make future changes/amendments much easier for my clients.
2. I get to help build new focus areas at Creative Planning Legal.
Creative Planning Legal primarily has an estate planning, tax, and asset protection focus with their legal services. They also believe in offering all-encompassing solutions to their clients, so they continue to add other focus areas. In addition to continuing to be an Estate Planning Attorney, I’m specifically joining Creative Planning Legal to build the elder law and special needs areas within their existing firm. This business development opportunity (on a nationwide basis) is very exciting and challenging for me, and it allows me to remain in the “build-it” mode which I’ve treasured in my careers (technology and law). The opportunity to build and enhance a growing law firm in these new discipline areas is a very attractive opportunity for me. It allows me to create and leave a legacy that will continue to grow. I consider myself very lucky to have this opportunity to continue building with a very respected KC company.
3. My ability to make a difference goes way up.
I left the technology business 15 years ago because I wanted to make a difference in people’s lives. It is one thing to sell a widget in a business-to-business transaction, but it is much more satisfying to make a direct difference in the lives of my clients and their families. The reality is, this ability can be somewhat limited with a small, independent firm. Combining my energy with an innovative company like Creative Planning Legal gives me so much more opportunity to make a difference. As a separate subsidiary of the larger family of Creative Planning companies, our focus is on the legal business, but Creative Planning is very focused on bringing comprehensive solutions to their clients. So, my ability to continue making a positive difference in this world goes way up as a part of Creative Planning Legal.
So What Does This Mean For You?
There will be more communication on these changes, and as a client, you are always in complete control of who provides your future legal services. I hope we’ve earned your trust over the years with our efforts and legal services.
We look forward to continuing to serve your needs in the future. I can assure you that by joining with Creative Planning Legal and leveraging their expanded resources, our ability to meet your needs, and the needs of your future generations, will only increase. Additionally, the broader group of attorneys, combined with the focus on providing holistic solutions to clients, will provide an additional depth of legal services for you and your family.
You may have a lot of questions, and like I said, more detailed communication about the transition is coming, but we’ll start here with a broad overview of a few FAQs:
• How does this impact me as a client of The Bell Law Firm? For many clients, the impact is minimal. I will continue to work with you as I have before. I’ll have a different logo next to my name, and my office will be in a different location. Over time my clients will meet new faces on an expanded team involved in meeting your legal needs.
• How do I make changes or amendments to my existing plan? This will work the same as before and include a comparable fee structure. An expanded team will be available to meet these needs, too.
• What do I need to do? A more detailed letter will be sent out in the coming weeks to existing clients, but in essence, you don’t need to do anything different. My existing contact information will automatically be channeled to new phone numbers and email addresses, which I will share with you. The use of technology will help make this as transparent and seamless as possible. If it’s time to review and revise your plan, contact me. If we can assist your family and friends, I’m here to help.
I personally invite you to stop by our new offices in the future. There will be some initial transition, but I’ll eventually be located at the Creative Planning campus at Nall and I-435. I look forward to seeing you there sometime down the road to meet your legal needs. I will be excited to introduce you to all the benefits of Creative Planning Legal.
Thank you for being with us at The Bell Law Firm all these years. We look forward to bringing our same energy and focus to Creative Planning Legal in the very near future.