Patrick & Associates, PLLC
Meet The Team
Dean Patrick
Managing Partner/Senior Attorney
Mr. Patrick is a licensed Michigan lawyer focused on probate and estate planning law. He has the legal skills, experience, and dedication that your legal matter deserves. Whether you are looking for a probate litigation attorney, an estate planning attorney or need legal advice when dealing with these complex issues, you can trust him and his team to guide you through the process and deliver results.
Education
- J.D., University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, 2004
- B.S., Central Michigan University, 1998
Jurisdictions Admitted to Practice
- Michigan, 2004
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, 2012
Professional & Bar Association Memberships
- Litigation Section of the Michigan State Bar
- Probate & Estate Planning Section of the Michigan State Bar
- Elder Law & Disability Rights Section of the Michigan State Bar
- Michigan State Bar
Jason Dandy
Litigation Director/Senior Attorney
As the director of our litigation department, I handle our most contentious litigated cases and assist other members of our team with litigation in the cases assigned to them. I also handle cases involving complex trusts and estates, and cases with complicated legal issues.
Practice Areas
Probate Litigation
Probate Administration
Appeals
What I do at Patrick Legal
As the director of our litigation department, I handle our most contentious litigated cases and assist other members of our team with litigation in the cases assigned to them. I also handle cases involving complex trusts and estates, and cases with complicated legal issues.
Education
University of Detroit Mercy School of Law – Juris Doctor
President of Student Bar Association
Member of Law Review published in the Law review
University of Michigan – Ann Arbor – Bachelor of Arts in Asian Studies
Yonsei University – Seoul, South Korea as part of degree program
Memberships
State Bar of Michigan (2006 – Present)
United States District Court – Eastern District of Michigan
Achievements
Secured millions of dollars for clients, with a $1.4 million judgment after trial being the one I am proudest of to date
Successfully argued before the Court of Appeals
Numerous successful written appeals before the Court of Appeals
Published author both of legal/academic writings and of fiction
Who I Am
Outside of work, I most enjoy spending time with my son, my step-son, my wife, and our dog and cat. I am a member of the Animal Law Section and a member of the LGBTQA Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan, as I believe that how we treat the most vulnerable among us defines our character. Having a two year-old and a puppy (as of late 2021) leaves very little time outside of work and family, but I still manage to make time for small gatherings with friends.
Kara Krajci
Super Paralegal
I LOVE staying active, usually you can find me in my garage gym or hanging out with family or friends. I enjoy golfing, reading, traveling, lake days, camping, and hiking. My favorite hiking trip was to Asheville, North Carolina.
What I do at Patrick Legal
I provide support to the attorneys using my considerable multitasking skills and customer service experience. I assist clients by providing regular contact and updates. I also maintain the case/client calendar and deadlines and draft applications and letters.
Education
Oakland Community College – Paralegal Post Baccalaureate Professional Certificate
Magma Cum Laude
Walsh College – Bachelor of Business Administration – Marketing
Who I am
I LOVE staying active, usually you can find me in my garage gym or hanging out with family or friends. I enjoy golfing, reading, traveling, lake days, camping, and hiking. My favorite hiking trip was to Asheville, North Carolina. For five years, I had the most wonderful experience as a nanny for a family who encouraged me to follow my dreams, one of which was to become a paralegal. Family means a lot to me, so it only seemed fitting to join a firm who helped families in need.
Michael Arnhold
Associate Attorney
At Patrick & Associates, Michael focuses his practice on probate administration and litigation as well as real property disputes. Michael wields a range of prior legal experience, including creditor’s rights, landlord-tenant, personal injury, and the supervision of large-scale discovery projects. During his legal career, Michael has tried and negotiated successful outcomes for both individual and corporate clients. He is a 2013 graduate from Wayne State Law School who enjoys cooking, staying active, and playing chess.
Dawn Santamarina
Associate Attorney
Zilly Lambert
Paralegal
EXCELLENT Based on 187 reviews Melissa Hodskins2024-10-24 Arianna Livingston2024-10-10 After speaking with about 25 different attorneys receptionist, Patrick and Associates is by far the best company I have spoken to in the last two weeks. After so many phone calls repeating my story became very tiring and it almost made me want to give up. Speaking with Micheal changed that experience for me. Micheal was such a blessing to speak with because of how honest, direct and knowledgeable he is. Honesty is the best policy and Micheal was very honest about my entire situation and did not just tell me what I wanted to hear. As far as talking to their staff was also a great experience too. I found them to be comforting because you could hear the concern in their voices when I explained my unique situation. If you are looking for a honest and dedicated team for your situation then you need to hire Patrick and Associates. Matthew Thompson2024-09-29 We reached out to Patrick & Associates after a bit of a probate mess after the sudden loss of a family member. My mother had called in originally and spoken to Jason Dandy who spent well over an hour over the phone with her. Aspects of the case had changed and I ended up reaching out to Jason again and speaking to him myself for about another hour. At some point I even spoke with Dean for about a half-hour. In all of the above cases, they were extremely thorough in giving us advice, explaining things in a way that makes sense to someone who isn't a legal professional, etc. Due to where how our probate case had fallen, we felt it ultimately didn't make sense to retain any lawyer, but for Jason and Dean to have given us a combined ~3 hours of their time up front without charging us, that stands out in my book. I want to underscore that even had I been charged, I would still be writing this review because this was the best experience I've ever had even talking to legal professionals. I promise this is not an exaggeration. If I ever find myself needing any sort of probate or estate representation in the future I'm going straight to Patrick & Associates. 100% recommend! Printed Perfection - Personalized Gifts2024-09-27 I had the opportunity to work with Jason Dandy. He is very knowledgeable and from early on it is obvious that he has a back bone - you need someone like this when you're going into court. He is also very friendly and seems to genuinely care about his clients. Family 1st Home inspctions2024-09-24 After speaking to Mr Patrick I felt a big since of relief thank you Dennis Clark2024-09-21 I was informed of his services however do to conversation with attorney regarding trust all questions were addressed therefore I do not need his services! Demetrius Knuckles El2024-09-18 Very profession, real advice, that I’m sure others would have charged me for. Mark Harris2024-09-18 Very polite and professional. Returned call in a timely manner, Answered all my questions Mary Ann Yelda2024-09-16 I have been working with Dean Patrick and his team for many years. Dean has helped me navigate through and educate me in many ways, my estate planning and trust being some of them. I could not have asked for better service from Dean! He is honest,kind,compassionate and present when you need him. I never hesitate to refer him to friends,family and my own clients. Thank you for all the years of your great service! Bonita Russell2024-09-16 My brother and I called on Patrick & Associates when a niece tried to oust us from being executors of my younger brothers estate. When asked what we wanted we simply stated we wanted to stop her. We got what we wanted as this law firm got right on it and settled the matter. Kudos to this firm, I would recommend them to anyone.