Why Estates

I think estate work offers one of the most direct ways in the legal field to help people.  Everyone experiences a death at some point in their lives and being in a position to make a difficult situation a little more bearable has always been extremely rewarding.  Furthermore, there is a sense of empowerment that people often gain at the end of the process in that they often have a better understanding of their own affairs through the process of working through another's estate.  Likewise, helping people plan for their own future estates can help reduce worry and anxiety in the present.

Personal History

I was born and raised in the Linton community near Nashville on a farm which has been in my maternal grandmother's family for generations.  I attended school in Franklin and Nashville. After graduating from law school in North Carolina, I practiced law for four years with a law firm in the mountains of Western North Carolina.  Upon returning to Nashville in 1998, I began work as a trust officer specializing in the administration of estates for a large regional bank.  Over the next 16 years, I gained a thorough knowledge of the mechanics of administering both simple and complex estates. In addition, it gave me an appreciation and understanding of the issues beyond tax and legal considerations that families must consider when planning and administering estates such as dynamics between siblings, blended families, family business succession concerns and the division of unique assets such as heirlooms or land.  I live in Nashville with my wife and two children.

Education and Experience

• Davidson College, BA, Cum Laude, Member Phi Beta Kappa

• University of North Carolina School of Law, JD

• Admitted North Carolina Bar, 1994 (currently inactive in NC), Tennessee Bar, 1995

• Attorney, Jones Key, Melvin and Patton, PA, Franklin, NC, 1994-1998

• Estate Administrator, SunTrust Bank, Nashville, TN, 1998-2015

• Started Dillon Estate Counsel, PLC, in 2015