John M. Jolley

John M. Jolley is a highly experienced attorney at Jolley Law Group, LLC, focusing his practice exclusively on estate planning since 1998. He assists with wills and trusts, estate and probate administration, business organizations, corporate law, tax law and asset protection. In addition to families in Columbia, Hilton Head and Bluffton, South Carolina, he serves a wide range of clientele including, health care providers, businesses, nonprofits and fiduciaries. 

Concentrating on government and international studies, Mr. Jolley graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1994 from the University of South Carolina. Four years later, he acquired a doctorate in law from the University of South Carolina School of Law. He was admitted to practice in Virginia and later in South Carolina.

Board-certified as a specialist in estate planning and probate administration by the South Carolina Supreme Court, Mr. Jolley has earned The Best Lawyers in America's recognition for four consecutive years and was awarded its "Lawyer of the Year" in Trusts and Estates Law in 2019. His high professional and ethical standards have earned him an AV Preeminent* rating through Martindale-Hubbell.

Mr. Jolley maintains an impeccable reputation in the legal community. He is a proud fellow of The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and the former chair of the Hilton Head Island Bar Association and the South Carolina Bar – Professional Responsibility Committee. He is also a part of the Hilton Head Area Council of Estate & Financial Advisors, Inc., the Virginia State Bar Association, the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra and the Sandbox Children's Museum.

Mr. Jolley is a seasoned speaker and writer who frequently addresses public and private groups on estate planning, administration and probate issues in South Carolina. His knowledge is widely recognized, having served on the South Carolina Bar Committee that studied the proposed Uniform Trust Code and the committee that studied the ETHICS 2000 Commission report of the American Bar Association.

*AV®, AV Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell Distinguished and Martindale-Hubbell Notable are certification marks used under license in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell® is the facilitator of a peer review rating process. Ratings reflect the anonymous opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Rating™ falls into two categories – legal ability and general ethical standards.