John G. Kelso

About John

John Kelso is a principal with The Van Winkle Law Firm, practicing in the areas of estate and trust planning and administration. Kelso is a fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC), and has earned board certification as a specialist in Estate Planning and Probate Law from the North Carolina State Board of Legal Specialization. He has over 20 years of experience helping clients develop wills, trusts, and powers of attorney, often involving complex matters that require charitable trusts, insurance trusts, business succession plans and structured gifts. His clients’ estate planning arrangements may also involve coordination with other members of the firm to develop creative business succession, real estate, and charitable giving plans. Kelso’s work also reflects his understanding that tax savings and sophisticated techniques are usually the means to an end, not an end in themselves. His objective is to help create estate plans that they understand, and that meet the clients’ specific goals. Careful listening, counsel, and attention to detail are as important as the technical aspects of planning.

Licensed States

Education

Colleagues at The Van Winkle Law Firm

Robert B. Long, Jr.

Larry S. McDevitt

Senior Principal and Past President

Allan R. Tarleton

Of Counsel

Stephen J. Grabenstein

Larry C. Harris, Jr.

Of Counsel

Michael M. Thompson

Principal