Biography
The senior partner at Kristof & Kristof, Attorneys at Law, M. Denise Kristof is a trusted leader and has a distinguished record of holding positions of trust. She is a respected member of the Court Appointed Counsel panel, which consists of a handpicked group of attorneys who are relied upon by the Courts.
She is an arbitrator for the Los Angeles County Bar Association's Attorney-Client Mediation and Arbitration Service. She has also worked as a mediator for the Los Angeles County Superior Court Probate Settlement Program. Throughout California, she has been a speaker on trust and estate matters.
Additionally, she has represented the Los Angeles County Bar Association as a Delegate at the State Conference of Delegates. Prior to establishing Kristof & Kristof, Attorneys at Law, she regularly traveled across the country delivering in-depth, scientific presentations.
Ms. Kristof's previous work involved mediating high-value disputes between union members and management. She also had experience in engaging legal counsel for public agencies.
Ms. Kristof possesses qualities of care, compassion, effectiveness and skill. She fulfills roles as a parent, grandparent, sister and daughter, allowing her to understand and connect with others on a deep level. Ms. Kristof adeptly channels these emotions in a suitable manner.
Ms. Kristof is highly educated. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree and a combination of Master of Science and Master of Business Administration degrees. Ms. Kristof surpasses many attorneys by completing more continuing legal education units in one year than they do in three. In addition to her Juris Doctor, she has also achieved 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
- Western New England University School of Law, Springfield, Massachusetts
- Juris Doctorate
- Western New England University School of Law, Springfield, Massachusetts
- L.L.M. in Estate Planning And Elder Law
- California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, California
- Bachelor of Science
- Major: Foods and Nutrition
- California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, California
- Master of Science
- Major: Foods and Nutrition with Special Emphasis in Business Management
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
- Arbitrator, Attorney-Client Mediation And Arbitration Services, Los Angeles County Bar Assn, 2012 to Present