Listserv Guidelines

• The WealthCounsel listservs have always been a convenient means of communication among our membership on a wide spectrum of estate planning issues. Members who are new to estate planning (which we all have been at some point) can tap into the deep well of knowledge and expertise of our more experienced members. In order for all members to get the very most from the listservs and to avoid rehashing certain issues that have either been discussed at length or which can be quickly resolved with minimal research, try the following before you post a query to the listservs: 
  • Take advantage of the resources you already have at your fingertips. The “Resources” folder within WealthDocx and the Members’ Knowledge Base both contain extensive substantive materials used as EP-series course materials and other valuable tools prepared by our members (available to members only);  
  • Take advantage of incredibly robust research tools on the Internet. Some tools like Leimberg Information Services, Inc’s LISI Newsletters Archives are available to our members and others, such as LegalBitStream are free to the public (available to members only);
  • Once you determine that the issue is not one you can resolve quickly with a little independent research, go ahead and post your query to the listservs. When you do so, do not post the same email to multiple listservs. Identify the most appropriate listserv and post there only.

Don’t use an “Out of Office” auto reply when you travel

• If you’re going to be away for a few days and don’t want your inbox to be flooded, contact listserv@wealthcounsel.com and ask to be temporarily removed from the listservs. (We promise you can get back on when you return.) If you don’t want to do that, at least spare your fellow listserv participants from receiving an “Out of Office” auto reply message while you’re away. Few things draw the ire of your colleagues as an automated response. (Yes, they will talk about you.)

Don’t Request Email Read Receipts, Delivery/Open Confirmations, etc.

• Similar to the “Out of Office” reply, sometimes it’s nice to know whether or not an email message has been read by the recipient. However, requiring a “Read Receipt,” “Delivery Confirmation,” “Open Confirmation,” or any other setting that generates an automatic response from the recipient causes a great deal of clutter on the listservs (and again, people will talk). Make sure your email is configured in such a way as to prevent these types of automated responses.

Don't start a new thread by responding to an older unrelated thread

• If you wish to change the topic of a thread please do not reply to a different thread without changing the subject line.

Post only what you want to share

• One of the most valuable functions of the listserv is that participants will so openly share forms, notes, schematics, and other valuable files with each other. In order to preserve an archive of these resources, WealthCounsel reserves the right to review any attachment posted to any WealthCounsel listserv, and if appropriate, to add the attached file to our members’ Knowledge Base. We may (or may not) edit the submission for form and basic content before posting the file to the Knowledge Base. When possible, we will acknowledge and give credit to the original contributor and/or author of the attached file, and we may use the attached file in any way we deem appropriate for the mutual use and benefit of WealthCounsel members. However, if the posted material is subject to a copyright held by someone other than the person who posts the file to the listserv, we will not post the materials without the prior consent of the copyright holder.