Attorney M. Eldridge Blanton, III

M. Eldridge Blanton, III focuses his practice in the areas of estate planning and retirement planning, including wealth preservation–or asset protection–in all its facets.  His special niche is the preparation of comprehensive estate and/or retirement plans for clients interested in asset protection, charitable giving, and other specialized goals, such as the transfer of family assets in a manner which is sensitive to income, estate, gift and generation-skipping taxes. His retirement planning services focus on optimum use of qualified retirement plans and individual retirement accounts.

Eldridge also practices in the field of elder law, advising clients of options for their senior years, including the purchase of long term care insurance with Medicaid as an ultimate safety net.

Eldridge was born in Richmond and raised in Cumberland County, Virginia. He is a civil engineering graduate of VMI and a former officer in the U.S. Army (artillery). He worked 29 years for C & P telephone Co. and Bell Atlantic (now Verizon), retiring as the Assistant to the President for Virginia Operations.

Embarking on a second career, Eldridge entered the University of Richmond’s School of Law, where he served as Editor-in Chief of the University of Richmond Law Review.

Upon graduating from law school in 1994, Eldridge worked in the Richmond office of the District Counsel for the IRS and earned a Master of Laws degree in taxation from the College of William and Mary’s School of Law.

The author and co-author of several published articles in the field of tax and estate planning, his objective is to assist families with their tax and estate planning as part of their overall financial planning.

Eldridge is a member of Wealth Counsel, a national organization of estate planning attorneys with members in all fifty states. Membership in Wealth Counsel permits Carrell Blanton Ferris to offer legal services nationwide, as part of a virtual law firm of over 1500 attorneys.

Previous Experience

• Private Legal Practice, Attorney, 1994 – Present
• IRS Richmond Office (Office of the District Counsel), Attorney, 1995
• C & P Telephone Co./Verizon, Assistant to the President for Virginia Operations, 1962 – 1991
• U.S. Army (Artillery), Former Officer

Education

• The College of William and Mary, Marshall-Wythe School of Law, LL.M., (Tax) 1996
• University of Richmond, The T.C. Williams School of Law, J.D., 1994
• University of Richmond, Master of Humanities, 1972
• Virginia Military Institute, B.S.C.E, 1962

Professional Affiliations

• Financial Planning Association, Past Board Member
• Society of Financial Service Professionals, Board Member
• Virginia Gift Planning Council
• Estate Planning Council of Richmond
• Kiwanis Club, Richmond
• Wealth Counsel

Classes/Seminars Taught

• The Truth About Estate Planning
• Personal and Financial Planning for Tough Times
• Don’t Die in 2010:  The State of the Estate Tax in 2010 and Beyond
• Wealth Preservation for Physicians in Virginia
• Wealth Preservation for Virginia Business Owners
• Income Generation Loan Strategy
• Financing Insurance – An Update
• Sophisticated Applications of Insurance in Estate Planning
• Charitable Funding Concepts
• Leaving, Grieving and Thieving: Making You the Only Loss
• Wills vs. Trusts: It’s Not About the Documents … It’s About the Results
  American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012