Business Details
30 Years
experience
Trusted Estate Planning & Elder Law Attorneys in Mount Pleasant
Dennis J Christensen, PA has dedicated its practice to helping families navigate complex legal challenges related to estate planning, elder law, and long-term care. Since 1996, our attorneys have provided compassionate legal counsel to clients in Mount Pleasant and surrounding South Carolina communities, guiding them through critical decisions about asset protection, healthcare planning, and family needs. Our team combines decades of experience with a personalized approach, offering educational resources and strategic planning to help clients avoid crises before they occur. We specialize in Medicaid planning, special needs trusts, probate administration, and small business succession strategies.Our commitment extends beyond document preparationwe serve as trusted advisors, helping clients preserve family resources while navigating the emotional and legal complexities of aging and disability. Through seminars and community outreach, we empower clients with knowledge to make informed decisions about their future. Our practice reflects a deep understanding of both legal frameworks and the human experiences behind every case, ensuring clients receive both technical expertise and empathetic support.
Services
Estate Planning
Elder Law
Medicaid Planning
Special Needs Trusts
Probate Administration
Long-Term Care Planning
Guardianships
Health Care Documents
Small Business Succession
Disability Planning
Details
- Year established: 1996
Highlights and features
- We have over 25 years of experience in elder law and estate planning
- Our team provides personalized legal strategies for complex family needs
- We offer educational seminars on Medicaid planning and special needs trusts
- Our attorneys combine legal expertise with compassionate crisis management
- We serve Charleston and surrounding South Carolina communities
Services
Estate Planning
Our estate planning services help clients protect assets and establish legal frameworks for end-of-life decisions. We create customized wills, trusts, and healthcare directives that address both financial security and personal wishes. Our approach combines technical legal expertise with compassionate guidance to ensure families avoid probate challenges and maintain control over their legacies.
Medicaid Planning
We specialize in Medicaid eligibility strategies for nursing home care and disability services. Our attorneys help families navigate complex qualification requirements while protecting assets. Through irrevocable trusts and spend-down strategies, we create legally compliant plans that ensure access to critical healthcare benefits without compromising financial stability for other family members.
Probate Administration
Our probate services guide executors through estate settlement processes while minimizing family conflict. We handle will validation, debt settlement, tax filings, and asset distribution according to South Carolina law. Our experience with contested estates helps resolve disputes efficiently, ensuring timely transfer of assets to rightful beneficiaries while maintaining compliance with all legal requirements.
Special Needs Trusts
We create specialized trusts that protect government benefits for individuals with disabilities. Our attorneys design legally sound structures that provide supplemental care without jeopardizing Medicaid or SSI eligibility. These trusts ensure long-term financial security while maintaining access to essential public assistance programs through carefully crafted legal language and ongoing compliance monitoring.
Guardianship Services
Our firm assists families establishing guardianship for incapacitated adults or minor children. We guide clients through court proceedings, create necessary legal documentation, and provide ongoing counsel for guardianship responsibilities. Our approach balances legal compliance with compassionate advocacy, ensuring vulnerable individuals receive proper care while protecting families from potential legal liabilities.
People
Dennis J. Christensen
Founder (1951 to 2023)
Dennis Christensen practiced elder law for over 25 years, specializing in Medicaid planning and estate preservation. He established the firm in 1996 to help families navigate complex legal challenges related to aging and disability. His approach combined legal expertise with compassionate counsel for clients facing difficult life transitions.
Shelly K. All
Attorney at Law
Shelly All provides legal counsel in estate planning and elder law matters. With experience in Medicaid crisis planning and special needs trusts, she helps clients develop comprehensive strategies for long-term care. Her practice focuses on preserving family assets while ensuring compliance with evolving legal requirements for vulnerable populations.
Questions
What estate planning documents do I really need?
Every adult should have a will, durable power of attorney, and healthcare directives. We recommend revocable trusts for probate avoidance and asset protection plans for long-term care needs.
How can Medicaid planning help my family?
Proper Medicaid planning protects assets while ensuring access to nursing home care. We create strategies that meet strict eligibility requirements while preserving family resources for future generations.
What happens if I don't plan for long-term care?
Without planning, families face potential financial ruin from medical costs. Our services help protect assets and ensure quality care through legally sound strategies that address both immediate and future needs.
Do I need a lawyer for simple estate planning?
While basic documents can be self-prepared, proper estate planning requires legal expertise to address tax implications, family dynamics, and changing laws that affect asset distribution and healthcare decisions.
How does special needs planning work?
We create irrevocable trusts that maintain government benefits eligibility while providing supplemental care funds. These plans ensure long-term financial security for individuals with disabilities without jeopardizing essential public assistance programs.
