We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Savannah Robinson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Savannah, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What do you think Corporate America gets wrong in your industry?

Corporate America is all about efficiency and the bottom-line is always profitability. Of course, as a business owner, efficiency and profitability are certainly important. However, efficiency and profitability should not effect customer service or your product.

A lot of lawyers operate on billable hours. I have personally seen this push attorneys to bad behavior and poor customer service–over billing, short-cutting, and clients who are afraid to ask their questions due to the cost. At Strategic Planning Law, we believe in putting the client first. These are real people, with real families, with real concerns–and they deserve to have their questions answered without fear of the cost and to have confidence that their families will be taken care of, even after they are gone.

At Strategic Planning Law, we operate on flat fee costs. A client always knows exactly what their estate plan will cost…and no, we don’t charge for phone calls, emails, or questions. We also believe that a client is a lifetime client and we will be there for them even after their matter is completed–each year we touch base with the client just to follow up and see if we can be of any additional help! Attorneys should know their clients names….and even their families.

Savannah, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I knew I wanted to be an attorney since I was 12 years old…and somehow I actually stuck with it! I didn’t have a family member who was an attorney or even really any exposure to attorneys.

Even though I really had no idea what being an attorney entailed or what type of attorney I wanted to be, I like the idea of an attorney being able to help people. Eventually I went to law school and when it came time to decide what type of law I wanted to focus on I decided on estate planning! The only other careers I ever thought of pursing was a Financial Advisor or Professor…and estate planning really incorporates all three of those professions.

Estate planning is so much more that who gets your stuff when you die–although that is certainly important! Estate planning can ensure your minor children are provided for, that someone can make your decisions for you if you become incapacitated, protect an inheritance from creditors, reduce tax liability, avoid court, protect assets against nursing home costs, prevent fighting among families, etc.

Estate planning is not only for the elderly or the wealthy. Everyone over the age of 18 needs some level of estate planning. An estate plan should be unique and tailored to each individual. I offer a free Discovery Session, where I sit down with a potential client and discuss their legal needs and estate planning goals and then recommend a plan that is tailored to them and their family. A huge part of my process is education so I can address my clients’ concerns and they can have confidence that their families are protected and provided for no matter what life throws their way.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Genuine Care. Although genuine care and interest in someone’s life cannot be taught, it certainly helps retain but also keep happy clients. With estate planning or really any other practice area of law, I have found that it is easy for lawyers to look at clients as part of a process or another number. You have to remind yourself that someone is seeking your advice because they need help–and often they come to you in crisis, maybe because a family member just passed away or they just received a diagnosis. So, although it may seem routine for you (the lawyer), it is critical that you spend time with the client, get to know them, and truly learn to care about them and their family. Almost every positive review I have received from clients says something along the lines of “Savannah listened and didn’t make us feel like we were wasting her time.” That is important..don’t we all want to be heard and seen?!

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

Financial Advisors and other professionals tend to be the most consistent referral source for me. It is great to work with financial advisors, CPAs, etc. to serve mutual clients in a comprehensive way! Another great source is client referrals. Estate Planning is personal and when a client refers me to a friend or family member, there is typically a baseline of trust already built because someone they trusts has referred me and showed trust in me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://planwithstrategic.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/planwithstrategic?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Strategic-Planning-Law/61558926917991/#
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/savannah-robinson-b186441a2/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/strategic-planning-law-ada