John R. Bennett MBA, JD, LLM
Of Counsel
Medicaid Qualification • Estate Planning • Asset Preservation
My Practice
For over 25 years I have been helping families and individuals throughout North Carolina qualify for Medicaid long term care assistance, preserve their assets and plan their estates. The key elements of this planning are:
- Comprehensive Estate and Long Term Care Planning which covers nearly every aspect of life. It begins with protecting you and your personal dignity and extends to protecting your loved ones and your hard-earned assets. It is important to have your own Estate and Long Term Care Plan and to have it created by an attorney who focuses exclusively on estate and long term care planning and asset preservation.
- Crisis Planning for those who are facing the immediate need for Medicaid long term care assistance. Crisis Planning can only be accomplished by someone having an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the requirements and means to qualify for Medicaid long term care assistance.
How I Work With My Clients
Establishing a strong personal relationship is how I approach each and every client. I will take the time to get to know you personally and gain a thorough understanding of your current needs, greatest concerns and hopes for the future.
I want you to understand why certain tools and strategies are best for your situation, and how your plan will work going forward. I will take the time to answer your questions and explain my recommendations in plain English
If you are unable to come to our office, I will come to you. We serve clients throughout Eastern and Central North Carolina.
Your family and trusted advisors are always welcome in our meetings. In short, I will do everything possible to make you comfortable with your plan and working with our team.
Initial Consultations are provided without charge. In addition, I charge a flat fee that you and I agree to before we start which eliminates surprise billings.
All of which helps explain why many of my clients are also my close personal friends.
Your Next Step
Please explore our website to learn more about our areas of practice and what we can do for you and contact our office for an initial, no charge, consultation.
My Areas of Practice
- Estate Planning,
- Business Succession Planning,
- Elder Law, including Qualifying for Medicaid Long Term Care Assistance.
- Estate Administration
My Educational Background
- JD - Wake Forest University
- LLM - University of Florida (Master of Laws – Taxation)
- BA - Sewanee: The University of the South
- MBA - University of Virginia
My Teaching Experience – Wake Forest University – Adjunct Professor
- School of Law- Estate Planning Course
- Graduate School of Accountancy – Graduate Estate and Gift Tax Course
Continuing Legal Education Teaching Experience
North Carolina Bar Association Continuing Education Committee for Estate Planning and Probate Law.
- Course planner and Presenter for North Carolina Bar Foundation
- Course Planner for the two-day review course for attorneys seeking to be designated as a Specialist in Estate Planning and Probate Law.
National Business Institute (“NBI”)
- One of the largest provider of continuing legal education programs
- Associated with NBI for over 15 years
Presented numerous courses in the area Long Term Care Planning, Estate Planning and Elder Law including:
- North Carolina Long Term Care Eligibility Requirements
- Probating Bankrupt and Insolvent Estates
- Business Succession Planning
- Medicaid Eligibility: General Rules
- Funding Sources for Long Term Care
- Excluded vs. Countable Assets for Medicaid Eligibility
- Income Eligibility for Medicaid
- Grantor Trusts
- Where to Begin: An Overview of Trusts
- Revocable Living Trusts
- Qualifying Clients for Medicaid
- Medicaid Eligibility Requirements: Planning Tips and Traps
- Planning for Long Term Care and End of Life Decisions
- Medicaid Estate Recovery Rules, Remedies and Appeals
- Documenting Long Term Care, Incapacity and End of Life Decisions
- Tax Deductions with Trusts
- Medicaid Program and Eligibility Requirements
- Planning for Medicaid Ahead of Time