Remember those school days, whether in elementary or college, when the teacher’s voice echoed, “Consider your sources”? Now, even in the legal profession, that advice still rings true, albeit for different reasons.

With the plethora of information available from blogs, Google, and social media, finding answers and collaborating can happen in minutes. Professional service-affiliated discussion forums, such as the InterActive Legal Estate Planning Discussion Forum, often serve as valuable resources.

What is it that sets professional service forums apart from Facebook or LinkedIn groups? For starters, professional service forums include input from leading experts in the field. More importantly, you’ll also find a breadth of discussion with like-minded attorneys from across the country. This diversity of thought and experience ensures that you are getting well-rounded advice and perspectives, which is crucial for making informed decisions in your practice.

While social media groups can be useful for certain types of information and community support, there are several reasons why they might not be the best source for obtaining reliable information, especially in specialized fields:

1. Lack of Expertise Verification: Social media groups often have members with varying levels of knowledge and expertise – some who are very new to a particular practice area. It can be difficult to verify the credentials of those giving advice, leading to potentially unreliable or incorrect information.
2. Misinformation and Bias: Social media platforms are prone to the spread of misinformation and biased opinions. In a Facebook group, it’s possible to encounter advice that is based on personal opinion rather than factual, well-researched information.
3. Privacy Concerns: Discussions in social media groups are not always private, even in “closed” or “private” groups. Sensitive information shared in these groups can potentially be accessed by unauthorized individuals or used inappropriately.
4. Lack of Moderation: Unlike professional forums or platforms managed by experts, social media groups may lack proper moderation. This can result in the presence of spam, irrelevant posts, and off-topic discussions, making it harder to find useful information.
5. Quality of Responses: Responses in social media groups can be varied in quality. You might receive advice that is outdated, not applicable to your specific situation, or simply incorrect. Professional forums, on the other hand, are often curated by experts who ensure that forum posts provide accurate and relevant information.
6. No Accountability: People providing advice on social media often do so anonymously or without accountability. In contrast, professional platforms usually have a system where contributors are accountable for the accuracy and quality of their input.

For these reasons, professional service forums, like InterActive Legal’s Discussion Forum, are often more reliable sources of information than what can be found elsewhere. These platforms ensure that you are interacting with verified experts who provide accurate, relevant, and trustworthy advice.

While social media groups can offer community support and quick answers, they often fall short when it comes to reliability, expertise, and quality of information, especially in specialized fields like Estate Planning and Elder Law.

Professional service forums offer direct access to other attorneys in your field, and often offer access to experts participating in the forum.

By participating in a professional service forum, you can trust that the advice you receive is accurate, relevant, and provided by experts who are invested in their practice and have sought out a professional resource like InterActive Legal’s drafting systems.

Choosing the right sources for information is as crucial now as it was during your school days, and a professional service discussion forum offers a safe, trustworthy, moderated, and accountable environment for legal professionals.