JONATHAN D. SECREST — “In the course of handling probate matters, I often see the results of poor planning or no planning at all. I derive great satisfaction from giving clients peace of mind in planning in advance when they know that everything has been put in order.”

After graduating (magna cum laude) from Amherst College, Jonathan obtained a Merchant Marine license and sailed around the world on square-rigged Tall Ships. He later worked on Capitol Hill, eventually serving as a senior advisor to the late U.S. Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan. After graduating from Northwestern University Law School in Chicago, Jonathan worked in Washington, D.C. in a prominent national law firm and then as an attorney in the Federal Government before moving to Brattleboro, Vermont, in 2003.

Jonathan has drafted complex wills and trusts, including special needs trusts, advised clients on business succession issues, and counseled clients regarding elder law and Medicaid planning. He has argued before the Vermont Supreme Court, and testified before the Vermont Legislature on significant improvements to the state’s probate laws, which he helped to draft. He is an active member and past president of the Vermont Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA). He has also appeared on Vermont Public’s Vermont Edition addressing callers’ estate planning questions.

Jonathan resides in Brattleboro with his wife and two daughters. He enjoys extended hiking trips, tennis, running, family life in Vermont, and the practice of law.

He is admitted to practice law in Vermont and New Hampshire.