Our firm has adopted five values that we seek to live by both when working with one another and with our clients. They are:
- Listen
- Be compassionate
- Be positive
- Be practical
- Always be learning
They have all imbued our practice since I founded the firm almost four decades ago. But it’s the last that I’d like to comment on here.
ABL
There’s always more to learn. This is in part because both the law and methods of delivering services keep changing.
Tax laws change. MassHealth eligibility rules change. New court decisions clarify the meaning of existing laws and regulations.
New case management and document assembly systems allow us to streamline our drafting of estate planning documents. The advent of artificial intelligence makes it easier to review and summarize existing trusts.
The internet, YouTube, podcasts and social networks has expanded our marketing and educational activities.
All of this (as well as our client’s stories and situations) keeps us interested and engaged even after decades in practice.
Always be learning is such a part of our firm culture that our office manager, Eugenia Andrade, has shortened it to the rubric, “ABL.”
For Life As Well As Law
It’s useful in everyday life as well. Eugenia says she often uses ABL with her teenagers.
And there’s evidence that ABL is a good strategy to apply to aging. A recent article in The New York Times describes the concept of “joyspan” developed by Kerry Burnight, who was a professor of geriatric medicine and gerontology at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine.
In her forthcoming book, Joyspan: The Art and Science of Thriving in Life’s Second Half, Dr. Burnright identifies four actions that we can take to thrive in later life: grow, adapt, give, and connect.
Her “grow” is really our ABL. According to the Times article, “[g]rowth is the desire to explore and learn, and research suggests that a sense of curiosity and a willingness to learn help maintain cognitive function and mental health in older adults.”
So, adopt ABL as one of your own strategies for life and let us know what you’re learning.