The attorneys of Dixon & Dixon Law Offices, PLLC
42198 Askins Creek Drive
Post Office Box 750
Avon NC 27915
Telephone: 252/995-6086
Fax: 252/995-4625
David R. Dixon
e-mail: ddixon@hatteraslaw.com
Over his career, David Dixon has enjoyed once-in-a-lifetime legal experiences that have given him a world perspective that allows him to discover creative and unique solutions for his clients.
He has worked both in the District Attorneys’ office as well as in criminal defense, trying hundreds of cases from minor offenses to those that, were the defendants to be convicted, carried an automatic life sentence. He has practiced in civil courts as well— in State District and Superior Courts, and Appellate Courts as well as Federal District Courts. He’s handled medical malpractice, wrongful death, contract disputes and obtained million dollar plus settlements.
He traveled with the Southern Baptist Convention attorneys when the Soviet Union was dissolving, playing a part in a team that was tasked with returning real property seized by the Bolshiviks. He traveled around Russia and prior soviet satellites to return real property to the congregations of the churches from whom they were seized. He studied immigration law in Guatemala, and was present during the 1993 Guatemalan Constitutional crisis. He lived and studied in Berlin, Germany and has been a guest lecturer at his law school.
So one might ask, if he could have practiced anywhere in the world, why Hatteras Island? Always independent, he had, with the help of many at his law school, planned on “hanging a shingle” right out of law school. And he realized, much earlier than his practicing peers, that rising technology would allow for a new type of practice– one much less dependent upon locating in the large cities. Due to a scholarship from a company that later became known as Westlaw, wherein he was provided all of the legal journals (caselaw), upon graduation from law school, he had the largest law library in North Carolina east of Raleigh.
Over the years, his litigation practice has narrowed and he and his wife are now focused on handling matters regarding families in distress– disputed wills, asset protection, and guardianships. During the great financial crisis he helped hundreds of over-burdened families deleverage. He did so not by having them file bankruptcy, but by a creative and open- minded review of their business transactions and the goals of all the interested parties. He’s proud of the stack of letters and cards he’s received over the years, thanking him for resolving what seemed at the time like an impossibly stressful and unbearable situation. Through that experience, he learned what worked in asset protection, and what didn’t, and is able to apply that knowledge to assist others in business planning matters.
He enjoys working on local Outer Banks projects, handling residential and commercial real estate transactions, assisting in forming the concepts, obtaining approval before the various local planning boards and commissioners, and seeing successful businesses and non-profits bring prosperity to their owners and their communities. He also enjoys meeting the many folks from all over the country (really, all over the world) that come to the firm when they purchase a beach house on the Outer Banks. He knows every development on Hatteras Island, the unique issues one faces here, and the various personalities that make Hatteras Island such a wonderful place to visit and live.
But he and his wife also use their unique experiences and abilities to assist family matters across North Carolina as a team. She is a gifted and experienced estate planner; he has extensive experience in the trial courts; together they provide unmatched service in regards to disputed wills, guardianships, and other matters involving end of life issues and emotional family matters.
Jean-Louise C. Dixon
e-mail: jldixon@hatteraslaw.com
Jean-Louise Dixon is better known by her clients and friends as “Scout.” Named after the main character in To Kill a Mockingbird she likewise took her nickname as well. Like Scout in the book, her father was a lawyer, and Scout began working at his patent and trademark law firm in Alexandria Virginia at the age of 14. She knew at that early age that she too wanted to be a lawyer.
She also knew early on in her career that she enjoyed estate planning and administration. She started her career interning at the Massachusetts Estate Tax Bureau and thereafter worked as a law clerk for the Register of Wills in Washington, DC. Thereafter, she practiced at a prestigious estate planning firm in Raleigh, handling high wealth clients, when she met her husband, who talked her into joining him, and forming a law office, on Cape Hatteras.
Jean-Louise and David are actively involved in giving back to the community that has supported their practice and where they have lived for twenty-five years.
Presently, her areas of practice include Elder Law, Estate Planning and Estate Administration, Guardianships, and Special Needs Planning as well Commercial and Residential Real Estate. She is a member of the National Elder Law Society and the Real Estate, Elder Law and Estate Planning Sections of the North Carolina Bar Association.
With over twenty-eight years of experience, Jean-Louise can offer peace of mind to families and their loved ones. In addition to a very busy residential and commercial real estate practice, Dixon & Dixon is a full-service estate planning firm, using corporate structures, wills and trusts to accomplish end of life planning. Properly conceived and executed, these documents provide asset protection during life, asset distribution upon death, and may avoid the expenses and provide privacy outside of probate.
Working closely with clients and their families on estate planning, preparing critical decision-making documents, and advising families about options to avoid a crisis in the future, Jean-Louise can use her experience to advise her clients regarding the benefits, advantages and disadvantages of different trusts and assist clients with funding issues. In addition, Jean-Louise works to advise families that are trying to afford the high cost of nursing home care, protecting assets so an aging family member can live a life of dignity.
Jean-Louise also frequently provides consultation services to children and other relatives, such as nieces, nephews and cousins, about their legal rights and obligations when a guardian proceeding is commenced either by the local Adult Protective Services or another family member. In many cases, the children and other relatives live out of state, making it extremely difficult to participate in the guardianship process. We are here to fill this void by attending hearings scheduled by the court and filing legal papers with the court outlining our clients’ position regarding the need for the appointment of a guardian, who the appointed guardian should be, the development of a care plan for the ward and the development of a plan for the management of the ward’s assets.
In some cases, guardianship matters are adversarial due to family conflicts. Jean-Louise and David have extensive experience handling contested guardian proceedings. Therefore, they are able to guide clients through very difficult and often emotional proceedings.
Jean-Louise and David Dixon were very instrumental in the establishment of the Hatteras Island Youth Education Fund (HIYEF). HIYEF is a non-profit charitable foundation established to support the educational needs of elementary and secondary students on Hatteras Island by providing funds for equipment, materials and experiences that would otherwise not be available to these students through public funding. Jean-Louise has been serving as the Director since its establishment in 2011.
Outside of the office, Jean-Louise enjoys spending time with her family, running, cooking and traveling.