Polk County Estate Planning Lawyers

The DeCosta Law Firm is a boutique firm that handles all "family" matters, including: divorce, custody, child support, spousal support, will drafting, as well as small business matters. At The DeCosta Law Firm, we consider small business matters a "family" matter as most of our clients are family-owned and family-operated businesses, who rely on us for our breadth of expertise in domestic relations and business matters.

Tiyesha N. DeCosta, Esq., received a Bachelor of Science degree, with a minor in Finance from La Salle University, in Philadelphia, PA. Upon graduation, she went on to work in various small...

Jim Hickmon assists clients with wealth transfer, estate planning, trust, tax, and probate law issues. He also works with clients to resolve trust and estate related disputes, including representing beneficiaries and fiduciaries in litigated matters. He is a member of the American Bar Association’s Committees on Estate Planning and Employee Benefits and is Vice Chair of the ABA’s Probate & Real Property Section’s Uniform Acts Committee for Trusts and Estates. He is a Council member of the North Carolina Bar Association’s Section on Estate Planning and Fiduciary Law and also sits on the Section’s Legislative and Fiduciary...

Licensed to practice law in NC, SC, and GA.
Estate Planning and Elder Law attorney.

My greatest attribute is the ability to fully invest myself in my clients. To a client, this means that I will do everything possible to understand your needs, to stand up and advocate for your interests, to fine tune every detail of documents created on your behalf, and to secure a favorable outcome in your case. I understand that when a client comes to our law firm, they are often feeling stress, whether from a difficult family issue, being a defendant in a criminal matter, or trying to plan for the future of their loved ones. My goal...

I specialize in employment litigation, representing employees and small companies across North Carolina during every stage of employment. I have widespread experience representing clients at unemployment appeal hearings and before courts and administrative agencies with cases concerning all facets of discrimination, workplace harassment, wrongful termination and retaliation, The Family and Medical Leave Act, and wage and hour disputes, among others. I also serve as counsel for local unions, advising and representing the union and its members in contract interpretation, the grievance process and a variety of employment issues. My secondary practice area is focused on civil litigation and...

Steve has practiced law since 1976. He represents companies and individuals in business matters and commercial real estate transactions, and individuals and families in estate planning and estate administration. In all of his work, Steve strives to apply his years of business experience and knowledge of tax law, to take into account any applicable tax considerations. Steve enjoys working with business owners, particularly when buying or selling a business, and has been involved in transactions where businesses have sold for a nominal consideration, as well as a sale to an international conglomerate for in excess of forty...

Mark Shelley has practiced law since 1984 in North Carolina. He has a degree in Economics from Davidson College, a Juris Doctor Law Degree from Wake Forest University and a post-graduate law degree in Taxation from the University of Florida’s elite school of tax. He began his career as in-house counsel for a major publicly held corporation. He went into private practice in 1986 with the Gastonia law firm of Garland & Alala where he became a partner in 1989. In 1995 he moved his practice to Concord. While many clients come from Concord, Kannapolis, Harrisburg, Mt. Pleasant, Gastonia and...

Business - Estate - General Practice Attorney. Carl has over 25 years experience in the General Practice of Law with a focus on Business Planning and Litigation as well as Estate Planning and Estate Administration.

Eric is licensed to practice in SC and NC. He has helped hundreds of families protect and preserve their family relationships and their legacies by effective use of Wills, Revocable Trusts, Power of Attorneys, LLCs, and other legal techniques.

Prior to joining Ralston, Benton, Byerley & Moore in 2021, Catherine worked as an insurance adjuster for two large national insurance companies, where she gained valuable insight and experience on the innerworkings of claim handling. Thereafter, Catherine became an insurance defense attorney, where she represented a variety of insurance companies and employers against claims filed against them. In 2016, Catherine switched sides and began representing individuals in personal injury and workers’ compensation claims. Using her experience and insider knowledge, she now works vigorously to ensure each client is receiving all the benefits they are entitled to. Catherine’s practice primarily focuses...

As an expert estate, trust and tax attorney, Greg Herman-Giddens provides comprehensive wealth planning, protection and management services to residents of Florida, North Carolina Tennessee and New York. He also provides consulting adn co-counseling services to attorneys throughout the country. Through careful selection of strategies tailored to clients' individualized goals and objectives, he helps individuals protect their family, preserve assets and save taxes.

Paul is an experienced Estate Planning Lawyer. His focus on the client-attorney relationship and peace of mind of his clients sets Paul apart from other traditional lawyers. Paul takes his fiduciary role very seriously. His relationship-centered philosophy emphasizes a focus on solutions rather than just documents and deliverables. He believes in focusing on the client’s goals and pain points – not a stereotypical “one-size-fits-all” method. At the initial Strategy Session, Paul sits down with prospective clients, discusses their specific family and financial concerns, educates them on how the law works in North Carolina, and works with the clients to determine how...

With more than 30 years experience in private practice, Mark Costley has helped hundreds of North Carolinians with estate planning, trust and estate administration, planning for children and adults with special needs, business succession planning and business transactions, and family charitable and philanthropic counseling. Mark’s work involves elements of teaching, strategic analysis and planning, negotiation, documentation, and assisting clients in executing their plans. A Duke University Alumnus, Mark has given back to his alma mater in numerous capacities, including serving as a member of the Board of Trustees. He has devoted his considerable energies to the Servant Center, Inc., a...