Jackie Bedard

Jackie founded Carolina Family Estate Planning in 2009 to help people live better lives by planning secure futures.

It took a lot of work to get here, though. In her own words:

After working my heart out through high school, I was the first person in my family to go to college. When I got to MIT, I found myself surrounded by students from prestigious prep schools. It didn’t take me long to realize those other students were better prepared for college than I was:

They knew how to make the university work for them—things like asking professors for extra help when they needed it and lining up corporate summer internships during the fall—long before it would even have occurred to me.

Those first couple months of school, I felt like I had worked so hard to get there, only to find myself in over my head. I became painfully aware of the disadvantage of not knowing what I didn’t know.

I found mentors, colleagues, and friends to teach me the ropes, and by the time I got to law school, I had learned how to get ahead. But in the course of my legal studies, I recognized a familiar pattern: There are effectively two legal systems—one for those “in the know,” and one for those who don’t know what they don’t know.

Then and there I made myself a promise. I would help other people navigate “the system” by helping other people gain access to the valuable advice and assistance that well-heeled families have always had at their disposal.

When you have someone you can rely on for help, you feel a wonderful sense of relief. You feel empowered. You make better decisions. You live a better life.

At Carolina Family Estate Planning, we’ve helped thousands of North Carolina families live better lives by helping them navigate the complexities of Estate Planning, Long-term care Planning, Probate, and Trust Administration. Together, we have discovered that knowledge truly is power.

Jackie is a member of WealthCounsel and ElderCounsel (national organizations of attorneys committed to client-centered estate planning and elder care planning). She has served on the boards of the North Carolina chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, Transitions Guiding Lights, the foundation for Transitions LifeCare, and the National Alliance of Attorneys for Alzheimer's Planning. Jackie is also a former council member of the Elder Law and Special Needs section of the North Carolina Bar Association.

Having seen the first-hand impacts of Alzheimer's disease and dementia on her own family, Jackie is passionate about helping families tackle the dementia care journey. In collaborating with elder care attorneys nationally, helped create the National Alliance of Attorneys for Alzheimer's Planning and she created the Alzheimer's Planning Center as a special division of the firm focused on helping families impacted by dementia. Jackie is a Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP) and a Certified Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia Care Trainer (CADDCT).

Jackie was named as a Rising Star by North Carolina SuperLawyers for 2016-2020 (“Rising Star” denotes attorneys who are under the age of 40) and she was also named to the "Legal Elite" for 2019-2022 by Business North Carolina. Jackie has also earned a 10 out of 10 score on Avvo.com in the practice areas of both estate planning and elder law. She has also earned a peer review of a 5 out of 5 on Martindale.com.

Jackie was also named in the “Best Attorney” category by popular vote in Cary Magazine’s Maggy Awards in 2017-2023 and “Best Attorney” by popular vote in The Cary News in 2017.

Jackie earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and graduated law school magna cum laude in the top 7% of her class at the University of Richmond, School of Law.

Jackie resides in Cary with her husband, Dan, and their dogs, Nala and Maggie. Jackie also enjoys hiking and nature walks, exercise, reading, cooking, music, and more.

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Jackie's Personal Stories:

The Tale of the Plan-Less Estate Planning Attorney

My Grandfather, His Caregivers, & A Peaceful Passing

How to Choose a Great Health Care Agent

Will Your Health Care Agent Advocate For You?

My Grandfather's Planning: Medicaid vs. Revocable Living Trust

Announcing the Alzheimer's Planning Center

Video: Memory Loss, Alzheimer's Disease And Dementia Explained

Video: Alzheimer's Resources

Jackie Bedard & Dan Bedard Founding Members of the National Alliance of Attorneys for Alzheimer's Planning (N3AP)