EZ QDRO LAW Scheduling Update for the Remainder of 2016

Something's gotta give . . .

After much deliberation, I am writing to share an important scheduling update I have just implemented for all new and pending projects for the remainder of 2016.

For those of you that don't know (although it is hard to imagine you could have missed my bragging), I am authoring a first edition QDRO Portfolio that will be published as part of the nationally acclaimed Bloomberg BNA Tax & Accounting Series (379-1st T.M., QDROs and Similar Assignments of Income/Retirement Assets (working title)). Bloomberg BNA is a leading repository of legal and regulatory information, so as you might imagine, I am excited to partner with such an esteemed organization.

However, despite this awesome chance to swim with the big fish, this is a professional endeavor I undertook with much angst, recognizing the immediate impact it would have on my daily practice. However, for both our sakes, I could not pass up the opportunity to further hone and establish my legal niche, and with your patience, I can promise some real fun on the witness stand once I am published.

Without question, working on this treatise for the past year or so, while maintaining my practice, has resulted in an inevitable delay in my normal scheduling that has not been ideal. At this juncture, due to my current case volume and pending year-end treatise deadline, the delay has now crept into uncharted territory where I simply cannot resolve the extended delay in a manner consistent with my internal procedures and service mission statement.

I am currently scheduling return dates for QDRO-related projects through November, and have completely booked out each week between now and November. This has brought me to the point where, as to not distract from my client services but still complete my proof on time, I must dedicate the month of December toward completion of the treatise. That brings us to January, 2017.

For this reason, please be advised of my current availability and protocol regarding all new and pending flat fee and hourly projects. Until further notification:

• As of 8/22/2016, I have confirmed return dates for all flat fee and hourly projects wherein I have received both full payment and all requisite documents and information.

• Effective immediately, I will not be taking any new clients until I am caught up on scheduling, likely sometime after January 2017.

• Effective immediately, I will not be taking any new cases, nor will I be issuing new contracts, until January 2017.

• If you have already paid my fee in a pending matter where you are still compiling requested documents for submission, upon my receipt of all requisite documents and information, I will promptly schedule and confirm your flat fee or hourly project for a return date in November, and once November fills, then January 2017, etc. If you find that my current timeline is unworkable, I am happy to provide a full refund to the extent I have not already incurred any hourly or out-of-pocket costs.

• If you have not yet paid my fee in a pending matter, and if my current timeline is workable for you, I will continue to process and promptly schedule your flat fee and hourly project upon my receipt of payment and all requisite documents and information, but return dates for any such project will not be prior to January of 2017.

• My office will be closed for all matters during November and December of 2016. You should wait to contact me with your inquiries until January of 2017.

• For future planning reference, as well as a tool to help you gauge your client's expectations, I plan to resume updating my weekly scheduling page in January of 2017, and I will also email any scheduling updates for the remainder of this year. Please make sure you have subscribed to my blog for any additional email updates.

While I realize my decision may create an inconvenience for you, a little soul-searching made my choice clear: I must balance the consequence of your short-term inconvenience with my overall quality of service and your long-term customer satisfaction.

The treatise has been a labor of love, and your patience has enabled me to achieve a professional goal beyond my wildest dreams. However, I look forward to getting the book into publication and then getting back to my first love, QDROs. I could not be more earnest in my passion, and my mission to deliver (timely!) excellence. I hope that I will be your first choice when it comes to QDROs in the New Year.