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M. Denise Kristof

M. Denise Kristof

Biography

Attorney M. Denise Kristof, founding partner of Kristof & Kristof, has a long history of leadership in positions of trust. She is an established member of the Court Appointed Counsel panel (formerly the Probate Volunteer Panel) - a select group of attorneys relied upon by the Courts.

She serves as Arbitrator on the Los Angeles County Bar Association's Attorney-Client Mediation and Arbitration Service, she has served as Mediator the Los Angeles County Superior Court Probate Settlement Program, she has spoken on Trust and Estates matters throughout California, and she has served as a Delegate from the Los Angeles County Bar Association to the State Conference of Delegates. Before founding Kristof & Kristof, Ms. Kristof routinely crisscrossed the nation presenting highly detailed, scientific material.

Ms. Kristof's pre-legal career involved high value mediations between union members and management and utilizing legal counsel for public agencies.

She is caring and compassionate, effective and skillful. Ms. Kristof is a parent, grandparent, sister, and daughter - she can empathize and sympathize. Ms. Kristof appropriately channels these feelings.

Ms. Kristof has vast educational experience. Her education began with a Bachelor of Science degree, followed with a degree of Master of Science combined with a Masters in Business Administration. Ms. Kristof completes more continuing legal education units in one year than many attorneys complete in three. In addition to having earned her Juris Doctorate degree, Ms. Kristof has also completed her LLM - an advanced, postgraduate degree - in Estate Planning and Elder Law.

Practice Areas

  • Estate, Trusts & Tax Planning
  • Estate/Trust Litigation
  • Durable Powers of Attorney
  • Advance Health Care Directives
  • Trust Administration
  • Probate of Decedents’ Estates
  • Will Contests
  • Conservatorships
  • Protection from Physical and Financial Elder Abuse

Education

  • L.L.M. in Estate Planning And Elder Law
    • Western New England University School of Law, Springfield, Massachusetts
  • Juris Doctorate
    • Western New England University School of Law, Springfield, Massachusetts
  • Master of Science
  • Major: Foods and Nutrition with special emphasis in Business Management
    • California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, California
  • B.S., Bachelor of Science
  • Major: Foods and Nutrition
    • California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, California

Bar Admissions

  • California State Courts and Courts of Appeal
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit

Professional Associations

  • State Bar of California Trusts and Estates Section , Member
  • State Bar of California Law Practice Management and Technology Section , Member
  • Los Angeles County Bar Association Attorney-Client Mediation And Arbitration Services, Arbitrator
  • Center for Civic Mediation, Mediator
  • California State Bar Conference of Delegates, Delegate from Los Angeles County Bar Association
  • Los Angeles County Superior Court, Probate Volunteer Panel

Pro-Bono Activities

  • Los Angeles County Superior Court - Pro Bono Probate Settlement Program, Mediator
  • Betty Ferguson Foundation - Board of Directors, Former Board Member
  • Pasadena City College Foundation - Board of Directors, Former Board Member