B. J. Kilgore

B.J. Kilgore is a principal with The Van Winkle Law Firm where he serves as the chair of Van Winkle’s Trusts & Estates practice group. BJ focuses his practice on probate law, trust & estate planning, trust & estate administration, business succession planning, charitable planning, and trust reformations and terminations. Regardless of the level of complexity, B.J. takes pride in ensuring that his work is straightforward and understandable to his clients. B.J. works with clients to determine their goals and develops a customized plan to meet their individual needs. This often involves working with clients who own businesses, have minor children, have blended families, or have another unique set of circumstances. In addition, B.J. has significant experience working with clients and their other advisors to use tax efficient strategies designed at maintaining, preserving, protecting, and transferring wealth from one generation to another. Sometimes this involves the creation and implementation of charitable trusts, irrevocable life insurance trusts, and other sophisticated estate planning techniques.

B.J. has been recognized as a North Carolina Super Lawyers “Rising Star.” B.J. is the current president of the Land of the Sky Estate Planning Council. B.J. is a member of the Estate Planning and Fiduciary Law Section of the North Carolina Bar Association, where he is previously served as co-chair of the Continuing Education Committee. As a frequent speaker on numerous matters related to estate planning, estate and trust administration, business succession planning, legal ethics, and other related topics, B.J. is very active among North Carolina’s estate planning community.

B.J. is also active in the local community, where he is a member of the Asheville Humane Society Board of Directors, the board of the Asheville Museum of History, the Professional Advisory Committee to the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts Legacy Committee, and the Lawyers Mutual Western Carolina Community Board. B.J. is a graduate of Leadership Asheville 37.

Practice Areas

• Trust Reformations & Terminations
• Estate Planning
• Business Succession Planning
• Estate & Trust Administration
• Probate
• Charitable Planning

Awards & Honors

• Buncombe County bar 2022 Distinguished Young Lawyer
• 2020 – 2024 Super Lawyers “Rising Star”
• The Best Lawyers In America 2024 – 2025

Presentations

• Co-Planner, 42nd  Annual Estate Planning & Fiduciary Law Program, North Carolina Bar Association (7/22/2021)
• Co-Planner, 41st Annual Estate Planning & Fiduciary Law Program, North Carolina Bar Association (7/23/2020)
• Business Succession Planning – MSPCA Annual Meeting (10/3/19)
• North Carolina Probate Law – North Carolina Bar Association 2019 Estate Planning and Probate Law Survey Course (9/26/19)
• Basics of Estate Planning – North Carolina Bar Association 2018 & 2020 Basis of Will and Revocable Trust Drafting (2/9/18)
• North Carolina Probate Law I – North Carolina Bar Association 2017 Estate Planning and Probate Law Survey Course (9/27/17)

Publications

• Basics of Estate Planning – North Carolina Bar Association 2018 & 2020 Basis of Will and Revocable Trust Drafting
• North Carolina Probate Law “Part I” – North Carolina Bar Association 2017 Estate Planning and Probate Law Survey Course
• Co-Author – Sale of Property and Distributions – NBI Probate Process from Start to Finish
• North Carolina Probate Law – North Carolina Bar Association 2019 Estate Planning and Probate Law Survey Course