Michael Paul

Michael Paul grew up in a Navy family who lived all over the country, returning to their home base of San Diego every two years. There, he enjoyed surfing, playing on his high school golf team (Torrey Pines was their home course) and scuba diving. He graduated cumlaude from the University of San Diego with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and then pursued his dream to become an attorney. That dream – and the desire to live near his grandmother, took him to the East Coast where he earned his Juris Doctor degree from the National Law Center at George Washington University. As early as law school, he was involved in estate planning, working in clinics to assist low income families with their wills and probate administration.

After graduation, Michael joined Reid & Priest, (a large DC law firm) as a corporate litigator and compliance attorney. He also has served as in-house counsel for several small and mid-sized companies in the DC area and in North Carolina. He has represented clients in electric utilities, telecommunications, broadcast companies, mortgage, consumer finance, banking, nonprofit and pharmaceutical companies, among others. This experience has allowed Michael to develop his acumen and expertise as a business attorney.

Michael is passionate about helping individuals, families and small business owners achieve peace of mind by developing and implementing comprehensive estate plans. The estate planning portion of his practice began as a natural consequence when business clients were in need of estate planning services for themselves, their families and other loved ones. He focuses on clients who are concerned about properly planning for and protecting their children, planning for incapacity, asset protection and eliminating or minimizing estate taxes.

After spending a decade in the mortgage industry, it was only natural for Michael to offer residential real estate closings in his practice. He is among an elite group of professionals in the mortgage industry, having earned a Certified Mortgage Bankers (CMB) certification from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). In addition to closings, he is accomplished at deed transfers, especially as part of an inheritance, and regularly negotiates the sale of large land transactions for families selling to developers.

With 25 years’ experience, Michael is a prominent estate planning, probate, real estate and business law attorney. He shares this knowledge with his clients and prospective clients via Webinars, articles and videos. He is a member of the North Carolina Bar and the District of Columbia Bar.

Outside of the office, Michael enjoys spending time with his wife and teenage son. The entire family volunteers with Northeast Wake Backpack Buddies and Tri-Area Ministries Food Pantry. Michael was a Cub Scout den leader for five years and assisted the coach of his son’s high school golf team. You’ve probably picked up on the fact that he plays golf, but he also enjoys antique car restoration and coin collecting.