About

When I was 15, my dad died unexpectedly, and it was a real wake-up call for my mom. You see, years earlier, my parents retained a very prestigious law firm to plan their estate, and they thought everything was covered. Unfortunately, the firm and its plan left our family unprotected when we needed them most. Although it was a textbook estate plan, just like they taught in law school, it didn’t work to avoid probate, save taxes, or make things easier for my mom and me. Why? Well, as the years went by, the laws changed, and so did our family and finances. We learned the hard way that traditional law firms put the burden on the family to keep things up-to-date. I still remember feeling helpless and deserted when my dad died, and it never sat right with me how the government and the lawyers made my mom feel like it was her fault the plan didn’t work. This was definitely not what my dad would have wanted! Although I was powerless to do anything about it as a child, I ultimately founded Legacy Law Firm to fix the problem. Now, after nearly 20 years in practice, it’s no surprise that most of our clients are women. Just like my mom, they’re the backbone of their families, and they want to do a great job when they become responsible for their family’s future. But they worry about outliving their money, having to give up their desired lifestyle, and becoming a burden on their families. That’s why we’re here … to help them get the most out of life, preserve family resources, and take care of the people they love when it really matters. Professional Credentials and Personal Information I am a licensed attorney in South Carolina and North Carolina. I am a frequent public speaker on estate planning and elder law topics, have been interviewed on local TV and radio stations, and have been a faculty member of numerous legal education courses. I'm rated “Superb” by AVVO (10.0 out of 10.0) based on my experience, industry recognition and professional conduct. The Supreme Court of South Carolina has recognized me for my service to the legal community and citizens of the state. I've served on the Board of Governors of the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, is a member of ElderCounsel and the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (Past President, South Carolina Chapter), and am accredited by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. I'm also the only attorney ever to win the Clover Jaycee’s Charity Chili Cookoff. I was awarded my Juris Doctorate, Cum Laude, from the Claude W. Pettit College of Law at Ohio Northern University, where I attended on academic scholarship, focused on Estate Planning and Elder Law, was elected to the Moot Court Board and the Order of Barristers. My Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Religious Studies was received from Winthrop University. Although I considered both seminary and graduate school after college, I ultimately felt called to be an attorney, where I could positively impact thousands of families. I took a few years off before law school to give the record companies ample opportunity to discover me as a guitarist-singer-songwriter … alas, no record contract resulted, but I did get discovered by his future wife! I am a husband, father, entrepreneur and attorney. I live in the “country” outside Clover, South Carolina with my wife, Laurie, and our two children, Anna and Alex. When I'm not working in or on my business, you’ll likely find me spending time with his family, cooking, or relaxing in our den with my library of classics. DISCLAIMER: Everything here is solely intended to provide visitors to this website with general information that they might find interesting. It is not intended to advertise my services, solicit clients, provide legal advice, or do anything else besides provide visitors with general information. Do not rely on any part of my answers, my profile, my legal guides, my publications, or anything else on this website that is in any way related or connected to me, as advice about a specific legal problem. This is only general information. Legal advice can only be given by a lawyer who is familiar with the particular facts and circumstances of your case, and I am not familiar with the particular facts and circumstances of your case—regardless of your question or how detailed it was. Without limitation, nothing you view here creates an attorney-client relationship or constitutes the rendering of legal advice. Lastly, to the extent anything here concerns tax matters, it is not intended to be used and cannot be used by a taxpayer for the purpose of avoiding penalties that may be imposed by law. Thank you for taking these comments to heart, and for understanding that while information can be a great thing, it is not a substitute for sitting down and establishing an attorney-client relationship with a real lawyer who will take the time to get to know you and the particular facts and circumstances of your case--you simply will not find that on this website.

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