top of page
Search

How to Build a Future-Proof Estate Planning Law Practice


In this energizing conversation, Greg DuPont sits down with legal innovator Ali Katz to explore the evolution of law practice into a transformational profession. Together, they unpack the shift from transactional estate planning to holistic stewardship—and how this evolution supports a more sustainable, client-centric model that’s urgently needed in today's fragmented financial ecosystem.


From Lawyer to Lifted Financial Advisor

Ali Katz outlines the mission of the Eyes Wide Open Collective: solving systemic issues that prevent clients from getting comprehensive legal, financial, and tax guidance. Through programs like New Law Business Model and Personal Family Lawyer, she’s empowering attorneys to adopt a model that delivers true stewardship—bridging legal services with holistic planning.


Key insight: The traditional fee-for-service legal model is broken. Lawyers can—and must—transition into “lifted advisors” who align their incentives with clients, leading to better outcomes and deeper trust.


The Missing Link in Law Practices: Incentives and Fragmentation

Ali and Greg share a deep frustration with how current incentive models in law, insurance, tax, and finance lead to disjointed advice and suboptimal client outcomes. The remedy? A new service structure that enables attorneys to:

  • Engage clients meaningfully through education

  • Adopt a differentiated, recurring service model (like Life & Legacy Planning)

  • Integrate additional services—whether through licensing or collaboration—to holistically serve the family


Ali’s warning: AI will soon replace commodified tasks. What clients will pay for is connection, context, and continuity—all of which come from human-centric legal practices.


Training the New Breed of Estate Planning Attorney

For lawyers on the fence about expanding their role, Ali and Greg emphasize that the journey doesn’t require doing everything yourself. Instead, it means becoming the orchestrator of your client’s financial life, supported by the right systems, processes, and partners.

Greg’s takeaway: By adding financial services, he reached his first million in revenue—not through estate plans, but through solving real-life financial problems. When paired with New Law’s training on client engagement, this model becomes exponentially more powerful.


Takeaways for Estate Planning Attorneys

  • Start with what clients know they need (e.g., estate planning), but guide them toward what they truly need—integrated advice.

  • Systematize everything—client intake, asset inventory, communication, follow-up—to avoid burnout and create lasting value.

  • Think lifetime value, not hourly billing. A client-centric firm should profit from maintaining and growing relationships, not just drafting documents.

  • Get support. Whether through New Law Business Model or Wealth Solutions Network, frameworks already exist to help you build a future-proof practice.


For more on Ali Katz and the Eyes Wide Open Collective, visit newlawbusinessmodel.com. And to connect with Greg DuPont about integrating holistic financial solutions into your legal practice, visit wealthsolutionsgroup.biz.


Let’s keep marching—to a million lives changed.

Comments

bottom of page