Attorney and Staff Profiles

Owner and founder of the Ashland, Kentucky based Potter Law Firm, Ms. Potter concentrates her practice in the area of estate planning, estate administration, and elder law. Mrs. Potter’s goal is to help her clients plan secure financial futures for themselves and their families. To achieve that goal, her firm offers a wide range of estate planning services, including wills, trusts, and powers of attorney in addition to probate, estate administration, elder law, and Medicaid Planning services.

Experience

Ms. Potter spent three years in the public sector and 15 years practicing in general practice law firms before founding her own firm in 2000. She is a member of the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, the Huntington Estate Planning Council, and the Real Property, Probate and Trust section of the American Bar Association. She actively serves her profession through the Kentucky Bar Association as Past Chair of the Probate and Trust Law Section and as a founding member of the Kentucky Bar Association Elder Law Section.

In addition to presenting seminars to educate the public about estate planning and elder law issues, Ms. Potter is a frequent speaker at continuing legal education seminars for other attorneys in the areas of both estate planning and elder law. She and her son, attorney John Potter, co-authored the Living Trust chapter of West Publishing Company’s Kentucky Practice Series volume of Elder Law.

Education

Ms. Potter graduated from the University of Kentucky with a degree in history. She is a 1974 graduate of the University of Kentucky College of Law.

Personal

Dedicated to serving her community, Ms. Potter makes service to local civic organizations a priority. She currently serves on the Boards of Directors and Executive Committee of the Community and Technical College Foundation of Ashland, Inc. where she Co-Chairs the Planned Giving Committee. She is also serves on the board of the Foundation for the Tri-State Community.

Ms. Potter is married to Roger Potter, an Ashland, Kentucky pediatrician. They have three sons.

John Potter is an Estate Planning and Elder Law attorney in the Charlotte, North Carolina, area with offices in Ballantyne and Huntersville; John has been designated as a Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA) by the National Elder Law Foundation and a Board Certified Specialist in Elder Law by the North Carolina State Bar.  John’s practice focuses on the use of Wills and Living Trusts in Estate Planning to help individuals protect their families and preserve their legacies after their deaths, but his practice also focuses on the critical issues of protecting individuals with dementia or other diminished capacity, assisting individuals in qualifying for Medicaid and other government benefits to offset the costs of long-term care, and providing special needs planning.  John is admitted to practice law in North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, and Ohio, and he is accredited by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Education

John received his B.A. in Economics from Davidson College, in Davidson, North Carolina, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 2000. He received his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2003.

Experience

After graduating from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2003, John clerked for United States District Judge Jennifer Coffman in Lexington, Kentucky. In 2004, he joined the law firm of Taft, Stettinius & Hollister LLP in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he practiced litigation, including trust and estate litigation. His experience with the tragedy of estate and trust litigation led him to estate planning to help families put proper planning in place to minimize family disputes.

John practiced estate planning and elder law in the northern Kentucky office of his family’s law firm beginning in 2008. In 2012, John moved to North Carolina and opened the Charlotte office of the Potter Law Firm.

Professional Affiliations and Community Involvement

John is a member of the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys; the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, where he serves on the Board of the North Carolina Chapter; and the Estate Planning and Elder Law Sections of the North Carolina Bar Association, where he serves on the Estate Planning Section’s Legislative Committee and the Elder Law Section’s Communications committee.  John has also served as Chair of the Estate Planning and Probate Section of the Mecklenburg County Bar.

John also presents continuing education to attorneys in the areas of estate planning and elder law.  Recent presentations include:

“Putting It All Together — Case Studies in Elder Law and Special Needs Planning” for the North Carolina Bar Association Elder Law Section’s Basics of Elder and Special Needs Law, October 28, 2022

“2022 Estate Planning Annual Review” for the Mecklenburg County Bar, February 3, 2022

“Putting It All Together — Case Studies in Elder Law and Special Needs Planning” for the North Carolina Bar Association Elder Law Section’s Basics of Elder and Special Needs Law, October 22, 2021

“Estate Planning in 2021: Recent Statutory Changes, Cases & Legislative Proposals You Should Know About” for the Mecklenburg County Bar Estate Planning Section, March 11, 2021

“Case Studies in Asset Protection” for the North Carolina Bar Association Elder Law Section’s 25th Annual Elder and Special Needs Law Symposium, March 4, 2021

“Putting It All Together — Case Studies in Elder Law and Special Needs Planning” for the North Carolina Bar Association Elder Law Section’s Basics of Elder and Special Needs Law, October 23, 2020

“The SECURE Act and the New Required Minimum Distribution Rules: What You Need to Know” (co-presented with Christina Hinkle) for the North Carolina Bar Association’s Estate Planning and Fiduciary Law Section, March 1, 2020

The Potter Law Firm is pleased to announce the addition of Jennifer Bailey Dalenberg as an associate attorney to the practice in the office of Ashland, Kentucky.  Jennifer focuses her practice on helping families plan their estates through a legacy wealth plan. She also helps families navigate through the delegate nature of probate and trust administration after a loved one’s passing.

Experience

Jennifer brings a variety of experience, including criminal defense, bankruptcy, and family law, to the practice.  She was admitted to the Kentucky Bar in 2016.  She started her practice of law with her father at Bailey Law Firm from 2016 to 2020.  Jennifer joined the Potter Law Firm in February of 2020.  She enjoys helping her clients plan for what really matters…their family legacy.

Education

Jennifer obtained her undergraduate degree from Morehead State University, graduating Summa Cum Laude.  Before becoming an attorney, Jennifer worked as a teacher in the Fayette County Public School System for ten years. However, she chose to follow her life-long dream of becoming an attorney.  While teaching during the day, she attended Salmon P. Chase Law School in Northern Kentucky’s evening program.  Working full time and attending law school part-time at night had its challenges, Jennifer couldn’t be more grateful. She is thankful she chose her passion, practicing law, and helping families every single day.

Personal

The Ashland Area is home to Jennifer.  She was born and raised in the community and knows the unique challenges families in Ashland face.

Jennifer is a dedicated children’s church teacher at Faith Christian Assembly in Flatwoods, Kentucky.   Once a teacher always a teacher!

Jennifer is married to Jonathan Dalenberg, a pharmacist in Ashland, Kentucky, and founder of Hormone Health Blueprint.  Jennifer and Jonathan have two children, three dogs, and full hearts.