What will happen to your family if something happens to you? I'm passionate about planning solutions to protect your family's legacy and provide security for your future generations.
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Estate planning is the ultimate way of caring for your family when you're not able to. It doesn't matter whether you're just getting started or well established; your family wealth goes beyond money and wealth protection. It's your values, your spiritual and intellectual beliefs. It's a way to carry on your legacy, from how your children are raised to providing for future generations. It also addresses how you're cared for if you become incapacitated.
There are a lot of ways an estate plan can go wrong, from unintended misalignment with goals to assets that never make it into the plan. Changes in your family and in the law can also have a significant effect. Just "having a will or trust" may not be enough. The well-done plan keeps your family out of court and out of conflict, both through alignment with your goals and with the technical means to accomplish them.
You're busy; taking care of your estate shouldn't be a pain. I'll meet with you at your location and at a time and cost that works for you. We'll walk through the process and make sure you aren't leaving a mess behind. We'll plan for how your children are raised if you're not there, for business succession, and for values-based family protection and wealth preservation. Most lawyers are done when the documents are signed, but I'll stay with you through changes in your life as your Personal Family Lawyer. I provide the peace of mind that your plan will work when it matters.
We administer the will- and trust-based estates of our planning clients and others in an efficient, caring, and respectful manner.
Request your FREE copy of Wear Clean Underwear by Ali Katz. It's a realistic way to get your mind around the different elements of estate planning, using a fun "choose-your-own-adventure" format. Also, you can get started on preparing your own Kid's Protection Plan -- an essential element of estate planning for parents -- here.
Based in Charlotte with my wife (a second-grade teacher with CMS) and twin high-schoolers, I have represented clients from the mountains to the coast in North Carolina. With over two decades in the legal field, I have provided strategic legal advice to individuals, professionals, and businesses, and I've represented them in both state and federal trial and appellate courts. I've been recognized as a Rising Star in North Carolina, and I've been awarded a commendation for successfully representing veterans with their disability claims. I have also served as a mediator, bringing people in strained, conflicted situations together to reach amicable resolutions.
As a Personal Family Lawyer®, I follow a client-centered counseling methodology. We'll look at the dynamics of your unique situation and what works for your budget. I will help you make estate-planning decisions that ensure your plan will work when your family needs it. Most importantly, you will have the assurance that your loved ones won't be left with a mess, that they'll be cared for, and that they will be able to make aligned decisions for you when needed.
I opened J. Nelson Law, PLLC, to do what brought me the most joy in my legal career: using the law to help make the lives of my clients (and the ones that they love) better. I'm here to be your trusted advisor, to help you make the very best personal, financial, and legal decisions for your family throughout your lifetime. I will be there for your loved ones when you can't be, supporting the people you love during what could be one of the most impactful moments in their lives.
As your future Personal Family Lawyer®, I'd love to begin helping you plan for the people you love today.
I look forward to meeting you!
You open the door to your parents’ home for the first time since the funeral. Closets stuffed with decades of clothes. Cabinets filled with china no one uses. A garage packed with tools, holiday decorations, and boxes labeled “miscellaneous.” Drawers overflowing with papers, keepsakes, and items whose significance you’ll never understand. The task ahead feels overwhelming.
This scenario plays out in homes across America every day. With an estimated $90 trillion in assets transferring from Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation to their heirs over the next two decades, families face not just financial inheritance but a staggering amount of physical possessions to sort, distribute, donate, or discard.
Read More →One of the first estate-planning questions you’ll consider is whether you need a will, a trust, or both.
You may have heard conflicting information from friends, social media, or TV experts, which can make the decision feel confusing. While both documents play an important role in your estate plan, the real question is not which document to choose; it’s how to create a plan that actually works (and how a document facilitates that plan).
Read More →You probably know you “should” have a will or a trust, but have you ever talked with your family about why your money exists in the first place? A simple family mission statement, combined with a comprehensive estate plan can dramatically increase the odds that your wealth and your relationships stay intact for generations.
In court once, I heard a judge warn a suddenly rich hier with the proverb, “Shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations.”
Read More →"I have found [Joe's] representation of us to be of the highest quality. I will be eternally grateful for the way you have handled this problem for us. I could not have asked for a better attorney."
"I enjoyed working with [Joe] and will look for opportunities to do so again in the future."
"Working with Joe was the best decision we made for our family's future. His thoughtful approach and attention to detail gave us complete peace of mind that our children and assets would be protected. He took the time to truly understand our unique situation and created a plan that aligned with our values and goals."