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
Tina Moga
Legal Assistant
EXCELLENT Based on 206 reviews Gordon Barger2025-02-14 Working with Patrick & Associates has been a distinct pleasure - from the first introductory call with Jason, through the final filings. Jason and Kara always made certain that we understood the process, they clarified the terms used, and they kept us informed of what was happening, every step of the way. Our situation was perhaps not as complicated as others', but it was still a trying time for us as survivors, and the first time we were dealing with this. Kara and everyone at Patrick & Associates calmly and caringly made it go smoother and easier for us. Much gratitude to Jason, Kara and the team. Thank you all. Vanessa Poota2025-02-13 Highly recommend Attorney Dean Patrick! He’s super knowledgeable, professional, respectful, helpful, caring, passionate and informative! He always goes above and beyond for each and every one of his clients for all of their probate legal matters needs! Becky Williamson2025-01-08 Mr Patrick has drafted many estate, wills, Medical Power of Attorney and Power of attorney documents for our family over the years and his thorough attention to every detail is impeccable. We recommend him to everyone and will continue to use him in the future. Milane Ohler2025-01-06 Dean was very helpful and it was clear he was experienced. Thank you! Kim Mayer2025-01-04 Dean Patrick has always gone out of his way to address questions that I have. You never feel like a question that you have is silly or inconsequential. He is sincere, makes the process easy, and not intimidating. He did a great job of doing the legal work I requested. He is a stellar professional, and I would highly recommend him to anyone. Holly Knoblauch2024-12-31 Mark shumate...... dean.your the .best Happy new yr boss DETROIT MADE2024-12-31 Dean Patrick and Associates are very professional and productive. This law firm took care of my family and I on a very complicated estate matter that lasted years. I felt confident in the services and care I received as a client. Staff and colleagues were upstanding as well as my case had additional needs. I will refer and use them again. Highly Recommended - SBMS Connie Patrick2024-12-30 I felt very comfortable with Attorney Dean Patrick handling my estate planning questions and concerns. He was very thorough and detailed with my estate plan. My experience with Dean was very positive. I would highly recommend him. Daniel Smith2024-12-30 Dean is amazing, he helped me so much, I would recommend his law office to anyone in need of legal advice or assistance Steve Johnson2024-12-18 If the will is being challenged, or your powers of attorney are being challenged, by family or in-laws, regarding your inheritance or the care of your aging family member or members Dean is your man. Most estate attorneys just want to do planning and distribution, (the easy stuff). If you are pulled into an estate and or care fight (as I was) you need a litigator. Dean will "take them to school." The Patrick team will fight for your future. They also do a fantastic job with planning and distribution. I needed a pit bull to take care of a large complicated estate that was under attack, and I needed all phases of help. We are just about done, and justice was served thanks to Dean, Kara and the rest of the team. No regrets.