Nicki Applefield Engel joined the Collins Elder Law Group in September of 2021. She has practiced elder law in North Carolina for over 11 years, but she has worked with older adults for much longer. Prior to law school, Nicki was a public benefits paralegal with Legal Aid of North Carolina in Asheville. Her experience representing older adults and individuals with disabilities in public benefits cases sparked her passion for using the law to help people.
Nicki earned her J.D. from the West Virginia University College of Law in 2011 and her B.S. in political science from Appalachian State University in 2007. In 2011, Nicki became licensed to practice law in North Carolina, and in 2013, she became licensed in South Carolina. As an attorney focused on elder law from the start, Nicki has worked as a solo practitioner and in a larger firm handling estate and special needs planning, probate and trust administration, guardianship, Medicaid and Veterans benefits, and financial exploitation matters.
Nicki was born and raised in Charlotte, and she comes from a family of planners. Her father, Gerald Applefield, JD, CLU, ChFC, has provided insurance solutions in the financial services industry for decades, and her mother, Diane Applefield, LTC, specializes in long term care insurance. Nicki’s planning background makes her uniquely equipped to prepare families for the challenges of life and to guide them through times of uncertainty and stress.
Since 2010, Nicki has been a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, Inc. (NAELA), and she is the past President of the North Carolina Chapter of NAELA. In 2019, Nicki was certified by the North Carolina State Board of Legal Specialization as a
specialist in elder law. She is the current incoming Chair of the Elder Law Section of the North Carolina Bar Association, and she serves as Co-Chair of the Pro Bono Committee of the Elder Law Section.