This is another entry in my ongoing “Back to Blogging” series, where I am reintroducing myself, by answering the questions, “Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How”. I’m going a little bit out of order.
Where I Work
When I first started my solo estate planning practice in February 2009, I had all sorts of “ideas.” I’m putting “ideas” in quotes because they were not necessarily good ones. One of my “ideas” was that I instead of having a real office, that I was going to work out of my home. I would save money on overhead, and meet clients in their homes or places of business. It was brilliant.
Actually, it was a disaster. First, I wasn’t very productive. You have to have the right personality to work out of your home. There are too many distractions – the TV, the fridge, the laundry, etc. You have to have a certain focus, and I didn’t have it. Also, I found it incredibly lonely. I like seeing and talking to people, and that’s something that’s missing in home offices.
Most importantly, I quickly discovered that my clients wanted to have a lawyer with a real office. I quickly called the home office experiment a failure. I found that for me, it was very important to be able to get up in the morning, get dressed, and go to work. It’s good for the soul in a way that staying at home wasn’t.
My office is located in downtown Fort Lauderdale in Las Olas City Centre, (the Bank of America building), also known as the “Rothstein” building, because Scott Rothstein’s notorious law firm was located there. In fact, the day I moved in was the same day that the feds were raiding the RRA’s offices. It made for an interesting experience.
I currently rent space in an executive suite managed by Carr Workplaces. Let me be clear. This is not a “virtual” office and I am not a “virtual” lawyer. Although Carr offers virtual office services, I have a my own beautiful, real, full time-office, with a lock on the door, etc. The common space is shared with other professionals – including many other attorneys. I like it quite a bit. It’s very collegial, and has allowed me to develop numerous relationships. If you see my address sometimes listed as “Suite 130-491,” that’s because some of my my mail goes to the UPS Store in the same building. But if you want to come see me, come to the 14th floor.
Geographically, the location is perfect for both me and my clients. I love living and working in downtown Fort Lauderdale, and being so close to the courthouse.