About Us

Dennis J. Christensen

Dennis J. Christensen

Dennis has concentrated his practice on Elder Law, Estate Planning, and planning for individuals with disabilities since 1992. He understands that Estate Planning is more than the preparation of documents. With this philosophy, he has been helping his clients develop a plan in the event a family member becomes incapacitated as well as helping his clients ensure the proper distribution of their assets at death.

Dennis has extensive knowledge about Medicaid and law and has helped hundreds of clients figure out ways to keep themselves at home for as long as possible. He also develops plans to protect their assets and achieve Medicaid eligibility for nursing home care when staying at home is no longer possible. As a son of a parent with Alzheimer’s and as a founding member and president of the local Alzheimer’s Association for many years, he understands Alzheimer's and other disabling diseases and has helped hundreds of families deal with the many issues and problems, legal and otherwise, that they face.

Dennis has also worked extensively with clients who have disabilities or have children with disabilities. He knows how critically important maintaining public benefits (Medicaid or Supplemental Security Income [SSI]), are for the person and his or her family and has extensive knowledge and experience in making sure his clients’ eligibility is not jeopardized as a result of an inheritance from a parent or spouse or from a personal injury settlement. He helps the person with disabilities and his or her parents and family to develop plans to make sure the person with disabilities is taken care of in the event the parent or caregiver becomes unable to care for the person with disabilities. This is often achieved through the use of Special Needs Trusts.

Dennis also works with personal injury lawyers to help them settle a personal injury case of a person with disabilities to ensure that the person does not lose public benefit eligibility. This experience led Dennis to co-found the Special Needs Alliance, which is an invitation-only group of attorneys who practice in almost every state and who are dedicated to providing legal, financial, and counseling assistance to persons with disabilities.

Dennis graduated from Michigan State University in 1972 and Marquette University School of Law in 1976. His early legal practice focused on civil litigation and and real estate law.

Dennis has been a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) since 1993. He served on its Board of Directors for two terms and was honored as a Fellow of that organization. NAELA is a leading, national legal organization educating its members and advocating on behalf of our clients who are dealing with and planning for the problems encountered as we age, as well as clients who have disabilities and their families.

Dennis is also a past board member and Vice President of Palmetto Pathway Homes, which was a non-profit organization dedicated to clients with paranoid schizophrenia. He was also appointed by the Governor of South Carolina to the Governor's Commission of Advanced Directives.

Dennis is the host of Senior Focus, a call-in radio show on WTMA 1250am each Saturday morning. He also speaks to civic groups, church groups, and senior groups on a number of topics. He has spoken to professionals on such topics as Elder Law, Estate Planning, Medicaid planning, special needs trusts, disability planning, veteran benefits and long term care planning.

He is married and has two children.

Senior Focus Radio Show

You can hear Dennins on Saturdays at 1250 WTMA-AM as he discusses issues and concerns on aging, legal matters affecting seniors and other topicson his call-in show. More...