2026 “YEAR-END” CLE
Probate/Elder LAW AFTERNOON SESSION- ROOM 203
1:15 - 1:45
Best Practices for communication: keeping Clients and beneficiaries Informed
(30 Minute CLE)
Matt will discuss best practices for communications with clients and beneficiaries, including a discussion of the South Carolina ethical rules in dealing with clients and non-client parties. He will give specific examples of difficult scenarios and possible solutions, along with several short yet simple rules for a better legal practice in the communication context.
+ Matt Edwards
As a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning and Probate Law and a Certified Specialist in Taxation Law, Matt Edwards is one of only 17 attorneys in South Carolina who is dual
certified. Matt became a principal at Thomas, Fisher & Edwards in 2015, the same year
Greenville Business Magazine© first recognized him as a Legal Elite of the Upstate. He
has received this honor every year since. In addition, Matt has been honored by The Best
Lawyers in America® every year since 2019. His focus areas include taxation, business
formations and commercial law, complex estate planning, probate and trust law,
business sales, mergers and acquisitions, and non-profit/charities law. For his work in
tax law, The Best Lawyers in America named Matt the “Lawyer of the Year” in
Greenville, South Carolina in 2022. He has served as a board member of the Taxation
Law Specialization Advisory Board of the Supreme Court of South Carolina; as a council
member of the tax section of the South Carolina Bar Association, where he is an ongoing
member; and in multiple positions including President on the Greenville Estate
Planning Council. Matt also works closely with the Greenville County Bar Association
and the Greenville Estate Planning Study Group. He has been published multiple times
in SC Lawyer magazine and presented on tax and estate planning topics at the 2023
South Carolina Bar Convention Continuing Education seminar.
Matt’s expertise extends beyond his private practice and professional affiliations to the
Greenville community. He has fulfilled multiple roles with the Christian Learning
Centers of Greenville County, the Neighborhood Cancer Connection (formerly the
Cancer Society of Greenville County), and the Greenville Rotary Club.
1:45 - 2:15
Panel Discussion: Integrating Recent Legislature Developments
(30 minute CLE)
This panel will focus on practical strategies for integrating recent legislative developments into everyday probate practice, with particular attention to statutory reforms that meaningfully affect estate planning and administration, including revisions to the rule against perpetuities and South Carolina Trust Code. The discussion will move beyond theory to address how these changes alter drafting decisions, trust administration, and litigation risk, offering concrete guidance on spotting issues with legacy documents and advising clients with confidence in a shifting statutory landscape.
+ David Thompson
David’s practice is focused on the areas of Taxation, Estate Planning, Business
Organizations, and Probate.
David and his wife, Sadie, enjoy spending time with their friends and family and being
outdoors with their dog. Prior to attending law school, he was a baseball player on the
Anderson University baseball team.
+ Jordan Goewey
Jordan Goewey is a Shareholder at Thomas, Fisher & Edwards, P.A., and works out of the firm’s Greenville and Spartanburg offices. He has been recognized as a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning and Probate law by the South Carolina Supreme Court, and his practice areas include estate planning, probate and trust administration, business advising, and mergers and acquisitions, all with a focus on taxation. He is licensed in South Carolina, North Carolina, and Tennessee, giving him the ability to assist a wide range of clients across the southeast.
Jordan contributes to the South Carolina legal community by way of membership in the Greenville Estate Planning Council, the Greenville Estate Planning Study Group, and the Greenville Bar Association. He has also given multiple presentations for CLE and specialization credit and been published in the May 2024 volume of SC Lawyer. He has been honored by Greenville Business Magazine© in Legal Elite of the Upstate each year since 2022 (most recently in five categories: Corporate Law – Mergers & Acquisitions (top vote recipient), Corporate Law – Business Organizations, Tax and Estate Planning, Estate & Trust – Planning, and Estate and Trust - Litigation) and as Best & Brightest – 35 and Under (2025).
Jordan is a proud graduate of Wofford College (B.A., Accounting and Finance, 2016) and the University of Alabama School of Law (J.D. and LL.M in Taxation (cum laude), 2019). He remains an active member of the Wofford community with his involvement in the Wofford Alumni Club of Greenville. He is also the Treasurer of the Greenville & Spartanburg, South Carolina chapter of The University of Alabama’s National Alumni Association.
+ Michelle King
Michelle focuses her practice on complex estate planning and business strategy. In the
area of tax, her experience includes handling matters involving issues of portability, the
Generation Skipping Tax, and special needs trusts. On the corporate side of her practice,
Michelle advises clients on a range of business issues including formation of entities,
business succession planning, business sales and acquisitions, and corporate
reorganizations.
Outside of the office, Michelle and her husband, Tyler, enjoy spending time outdoors
with their daughter, Claire.
+ Moderator: Hall Provence IV
Hall brings extensive experience in estate planning, trusts and trust administration, estate administration, wealth transfer strategies, as well as business and succession planning. His practice also covers a broad range of corporate business transactions.
He regularly advises individuals, families, executors/personal representatives, beneficiaries, and trustees on all matters related to estate planning, trusts, probate, and estate administration. With an LL.M. in Taxation, Hall has significant expertise in gift, estate, income, and generation-skipping transfer tax issues affecting trusts and estates. He frequently drafts estate plans, special needs trusts, asset protection trusts, and complex estate tax planning strategies for high-net-worth individuals.
In addition, Hall supports business clients with formation and operational needs. His work includes establishing LLCs, partnerships, and corporations; drafting operating and partnership agreements; preparing corporate governance documents; negotiating contracts and leases; and overseeing business purchases and sales.
2:15 - 2:45
Ethical Considerations for Estate Planning and Probate Practitioners
(30 Minute CLE)
This presentation will cover various ethical topics that must be specifically considered when engaging in estate planning and probate administration. Estate planning and probate administration often present challenging situations in which counsel may represent multiple parties in the same matter, or represent a single client while multiple individuals are involved. The presentation will also focus on issues relating to the representation of personal representatives and trustees or trust beneficiaries. In addition, it will address several miscellaneous topics concerning communication with clients, opposing counsel, and adversarial pro se individuals in probate and trust litigation. Finally, the presentation will highlight the need to remain current not only on changes in probate law, but also on developments in other areas of law that may impact an estate planning and probate practice.
+ John M. Hine
John M. Hine received his Master of Laws in Taxation (LL. M.) from the University of
Florida Levin College of Law. Prior to attending the University of Florida, John earned
his Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law and his Bachelor
of Science from Clemson University.
John's main areas of focus are Complex Estate Planning (which includes wills, revocable
trusts, irrevocable trusts, durable powers of attorney, and health care powers of
attorney), Business Law, LLC formations, Tax (including Tax Exempt Organizations),
and Probate Administration and Litigation.
When John is not practicing law or lecturing, he is busy with his wife Maria raising their
two children. John and his wife are members of Taylors First Baptist Church where they
are highly involved in their Life Group.
2:45-3:00
Break
3:00-4:00
Judges panel Discussion
(60 Minute CLE)
Our Greenville County Probate Court bench will offer insight and practical guidance for practitioners appearing in probate court. The discussion will address current litigation and filing trends, common procedural and substantive issues observed by the bench, and recent judicial developments affecting probate practice. The panelists will also share perspectives on effective advocacy, recurring pitfalls, and best practices for navigating contested and uncontested matters, with an emphasis on improving efficiency, professionalism, and outcomes in probate proceedings.
+ The honorable Chad Groover
Judge Chad Groover was born in Florence SC to Roy and Diane Groover. Because his father was active duty with the U.S. Air Force, the family traveled all over the world. Judge Groover came back to South Carolina for college earning a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Bob Jones University in Greenville, SC in 1994. He then obtained a Juris Doctorate from the Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University in Macon, GA in 1998. Judge Groover is a member of the South Carolina Bar and the Virginia State Bar.
Prior to his election as Greenville County Probate Judge in 2022, Judge Groover spent over 14 years in private practice, first in his own firm and then as the managing partner at Upstate Elder Law, P.A. In private practice, he primarily assisted clients with estate planning, probate and trust administration, guardianship/conservatorship cases, special needs planning, and Medicaid qualification.
Before private practice Judge Groover served as a Special Assistant United States Attorney in the US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa where he served on an Organized Crime and Drug
Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) prosecuting federal narcotics and gun crimes.
Prior to serving as a federal prosecutor, Judge Groover was Senator Charles Grassley’s (R-IA) staff Counsel on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee’s Crime Subcommittee from 2001 to 2006. In that
position, he drafted and vetted legislation, planned hearings, wrote committee and floor statements, worked on federal judicial nominations (including the nominations of Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito to the U.S. Supreme Court), and conducted oversight of the Department of Justice
(USDOJ), the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), and the Department of Homeland Security (USDHS).
Judge Groover is a member of several professional organizations including: the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, the SC Bar Elder Law Committee, the Greenville Estate Planning Study Group, the Greenville Estate Planning Council, and the Greenville County Bar Association.
Chad is married to Gwen Groover and they have two children, Ava and Willes, and a miniature Bernedoodle puppy named Fergie. The Groovers are active members at Cornerstone Baptist Church
were Chad serves as Deacon and small group leader.
+ The honorable Amanda Morgan
Amanda Morgan has been with the Greenville County Probate Court since 2018. She currently
serves as Deputy Probate Judge and Estate Division Director. In this role she manages the
judicial assistants who administer the informal estates. She graduated from Greenville Technical
College with an Associate’s Degree in Applied Science in Paralegal Studies. Prior to her tenure
at the Greenville County Probate Court, she worked as a paralegal for a private attorney in
estate planning. When not working, Amanda enjoys the outdoors and spending time with her
husband and two children.
+ The honorable Elizabeth Wiygul
Elizabeth Wiygul has been an Associate Probate Judge with the Greenville County Probate Court since 2016. She maintains a private criminal defense practice representing both adults and juveniles. She received her associate’s degree from Greenville Technical College and her BS and JD degree from the University of South Carolina. She also clerked for the Honorable G. Ross Anderson prior to beginning the practice of law.
+ Moderator: William Neinast
Will is a litigator in the Greenville office of Nelson Mullins, where he focuses on complex civil disputes with a substantial emphasis on probate and trust litigation. His probate litigation practice includes trustee and beneficiary disputes, will contests, actions involving family limited partnerships and closely held entities, contested estate administrations, and related fiduciary litigation both in probate court and common pleas.
In addition to his probate work, Will handles complex business disputes as well as products liability, professional liability, and real estate litigation matters. He has successfully defended appeals in state and federal courts. Will is also a frequent CLE presenter on ethics, professional responsibility, and legal technology topics.
Will received his undergraduate degrees from Wake Forest University and his juris doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law.
Will enjoys spending time outside the office with his wife and two daughters.
