we devote our practice to elder law, estate planning, and estate administration. In every facet of the practice, we concentrate on preparing you for the transitions that life naturally brings and walking those transitions with you. In crafting legal documents to meet lifetime needs and to ultimately distribute assets in accordance with your goals, we assist you in navigating those life changes by building bridges between generations, building connections with community services and creating teams to accomplish these goals.
Estate planning provides control and direction over the distribution of assets at death through legal instruments, which may include wills, trusts, and beneficiary designations. Perhaps more importantly, estate planning also provides the opportunity to control and direct the management of assets and health care during incapacity
Read More
Elder law combines the considerations of estate planning with pre-planning for long-term care needs. Our office helps clients not only prepare their estate plans, but also to prepare for in-home care, assisted living and nursing home care, and meet the special needs of family members living with dementia and other disabilities.
Read More
Our office assists with both probate and trust administration, with the goal of administering estates efficiently and with transparency. We strive to treat your beneficiaries and family with the same care and respect that we extended to you, literally bridging generations and transitioning your assets to further your goals.
With all our services, our office emphasizes its role as a team player – to create and nurture connections, to facilitate transitions, to build bridges. To provide you with supportive and conscientious service, we encourage you to contact us as needed. By making sure the appropriate tools are in place and by remaining accessible throughout the process, we not only construct solid plans but also provide continuing support as a member of your team.
Lauren has managed our Estate Administration practice since 2016. Lauren graduated from Western Carolina University with a Bachelor of Arts in history and a minor in political science, recently graduated from Charlotte School of Law and expects to sit for the NC Bar exam in the future. When she is not assisting in all of phases of estate administration, Lauren enjoys baking, spending quality time with friends and family, volunteering for Phi Mu Fraternity advising chapters in finance and operations, and renovating her newly purchased home.
Mary Jo manages our Medicaid practice. Mary Jo is a native of Black Mountain, graduated from Charles D. Owen High School and earned an Associates Degree from Haywood Community College. Mary Jo worked as a medical assistant for over 12 years before joining our office in 2004. MJ’s previous experience working in physicians’ offices has proven a tremendous asset as she assists clients with obtaining in-home care, navigating appropriate placement for long-term care and achieving eligibility for benefits to pay for cost of care. When Mary Jo is not in the office, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two children, reading and cooking.
Mary’s winding life path – from her MS in Biology at Western Carolina University, to her BA in English from Radford University – has brought her here to assist with estate administration and deed preparation in all facets of our practice. When she’s not at work, she loves to dabble in the botanical environment of her past life and wonder in amazement at the beauty of the natural world around her.
Kasidy grew up north of Chicago and moved to Asheville in 2014 to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree from University of North Carolina Asheville. After spending time in the outdoor industry, Kasidy decided she wanted to shift focus and enter into a field where she can use her time to help people. Since, she uses her friendly demeanor and detail-oriented nature to make guests feel as welcome as family, while ensuring the office is well organized and running efficiently. Outside of the office, Kasidy likes to explore the beautiful mountains we live in, travel to new places, paint, and enjoy quality time with her partner and family.
Wendy graduated from Wake Forest University in 1987, magna cum laude, with a Bachelor of Arts in political science, and from Vanderbilt University School of Law in 1990. After practicing for five years in Charlotte with Smith Helms Mulliss & Moore, she married her husband Chip and moved to Montreat to start her family. After serving as Board Chair for the Black Mountain Center for the Arts through its capital campaign and volunteering in our local schools, Wendy opened her own practice in 2002. Wendy served as Chair of the Elder Law Section of the NC Bar Association from 2006-2007 and currently serves on the Section’s legislative committee. She has served as co-chair of the North Carolina Chapter of the National Association of Elder Law Attorneys and hosted the first “unprogram” of elder law attorneys in NC in 2005. Wendy has been included in Best Lawyers in America each year since 2008.
