Elder Law Report

A long-term care crisis can erase decades of savings in a shockingly short time, and most families do not realize it until they are already in the middle of it. That’s why we’re excited to introduce Anthony Robreno, a new attorney in our Charlotte office, and talk about what proactive elder law and estate planning actually look like when you’re trying to protect a home, property, and the future you built. Anthony shares his path from South Florida and his Cuban heritage to Wake Forest Univer...

You can order a custom gift online in minutes, but trusting an online marketplace with your will is a very different kind of purchase. Greg McIntyre and Haley Matson get blunt about the rising trend of Etsy-style wills and other DIY estate planning documents, and why “I can buy it” is not the same as “I should use it.” We dig into what people miss when they treat a last will and testament like a simple note. Wills have strict legal requirements, and when those requirements are not met, a cou...

Your estate plan is only as strong as your ability to find it on the worst day. Greg McIntyre sits down with law partner Brenton Begley to talk about a problem almost every family eventually faces: important legal documents that are perfectly drafted but impossible to locate when a hospital, bank, or courthouse asks for proof. We break down our two track approach to document storage. First, we deliver a durable estate planning binder with protected originals, including wills, trusts, financi...

The scariest sentence we hear from families facing a spouse’s nursing home placement is simple: “We’re going to lose everything.” That fear is understandable, but it often ignores the spousal protections built into long-term care Medicaid rules. We sit down to map the real picture of how benefits can work when one spouse becomes the “applicant spouse” and the other remains the “community spouse” trying to keep the household afloat. We start with the foundation that makes every plan possible:...

A quiet revolution just reshaped estate planning in North Carolina: a properly certified, attorney‑stored electronic copy of your will can now be probated like the original. We unpack what that means in real life—fewer frantic searches for paper, fewer hearings over missing originals, and a smoother path for families when they need clarity most. With all 100 counties live on e‑courts, the shift from pen and ink to secure digital storage isn’t a trend; it’s the new backbone of reliable probate...

Most families wait until a fall, stroke, or sudden diagnosis forces a scramble. We open up about how adult children can help parents plan early, keep control where it belongs, and avoid the most expensive and stressful mistakes—from lost capacity to long-term care surprises. We start with the heart of the matter: capacity. Once a parent can’t sign, choices narrow and families face court, delays, and mounting costs. We lay out conversation starters that honor dignity and independence, then tr...

Valentine’s Day is a perfect reminder that love isn’t just a feeling—it’s a plan. We sit down as father and son, both elder law attorneys, to map out clear steps that protect the people who matter most. From choosing a trustee for minor children to keeping your home out of probate, we explain how straightforward documents can prevent the messes that break hearts and budgets. We start with practical strategies for families with kids: creating a trust that funds education and daily needs, nami...

The moments that test a family rarely arrive with warning. A fall, a stroke, a winter storm that knocks out power for days—suddenly decisions pile up while the tools to make them are out of reach. We sat down to map a calm, practical path through those chaotic hours by focusing on two essentials: the health care power of attorney and the general durable power of attorney. First, we unpack how a health care power of attorney ensures your voice is heard when you can’t speak for yourself. You’l...

Paper binders and decade-old software don’t cut it for families making the most important legal decisions of their lives. We open the door to a tech-forward approach to estate planning—one that keeps the attorney’s judgment at the center while using smart systems to remove friction, reduce errors, and make every step easier to navigate. From secure, encrypted lifetime document storage to a streamlined intake process that captures assets and goals once and reuses that data across your plan, we...

Most parents focus on car seats and cribs, but the real safety net is legal: who can act for you in a crisis, who raises your kids if the unthinkable happens, and how your savings and life insurance actually support your family’s future. We dig into the essential steps every new parent in North Carolina should take, from naming guardians in a will to creating trusts that protect minors from windfalls and missteps. We start with the basics of incapacity planning—why marriage alone doesn’t gra...

Cold mornings, black ice on the north side of the valley, and a clear road just a mile away—mountain weather keeps you humble. That same unpredictability shows up in life events, which is why we sat down with attorney Jane Dearwester to connect winter preparedness with estate planning that actually works when the road disappears. From Hurricane Helene to fast-moving forest fires and sudden evacuations, Jane shares how her Hendersonville team built resilience: checking on staff across elevatio...

Want a simple way to keep full control of your home today and pass it to your heirs instantly when you’re gone? We dig into the nuts and bolts of the Ladybird deed—formally called an enhanced life estate deed—and explain why it’s a powerful, court-tested tool in North Carolina and beyond. You’ll hear how it avoids probate, preserves eligibility for long-term care Medicaid, and protects against certain estate creditors, all while letting you sell, refinance, rent, or change beneficiaries witho...

Meet the newest member of our elder law team, attorney Josh Hunter—a history major turned lawyer who pairs environmental policy training with a calm, strategic approach to complex family needs. We walk through the realities of apprenticeship in a focused practice: why mastering estate planning, long-term care benefits, probate, trust administration, and litigation takes more than textbooks, and how mentorship builds judgment you can trust when decisions affect generations. Josh shares how la...