In two days, I’ll be flying off to sunny (I hope) Orlando, Fla. for the 48th Annual Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning. But, it’s not just the reprieve from the frigid temperatures we’ve experienced in the Northeast that has me excited about my upcoming trip. I’m also looking forward to the whirlwind of activities that make up the conference. Not only is it a great opportunity to learn about the important recent developments in estate planning, but also it’s a time for networking, catching up with friends and colleagues and working on business development. And, while learning about issues, such as portability and the health care surtax, is certainly important, it’s those latter activities that make the conference a fun and rewarding experience.
That’s also why, a few years ago, we decided to add “The Modern Practice” as a committee of our editorial advisory board; we wanted to bring attention to some of these practice management issues. The articles in this month’s Special Report help us to deal with issues outside of estate-planning strategies and better manage our lives and our businesses. “Overcoming Practice Inefficiencies,” by Louis S. Harrison and Nancy C. Hughes (p. 44), gives us 13 practical suggestions for balancing our personal lives with running our businesses. “T&E Software and Cloud Resources,” by Donald H. Kelley (p. 39), provides us with an overview of the diverse digital resources out there, which can assist us with running our practices more efficiently. And, “How to Handle Conflicts of Interest,” by Robert S. Held (p. 48), instructs us on how to represent both spouses simultaneously, while avoiding violations of the Model Rules of Professional Conduct.