American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys

Dennis Sandoval’s interest in providing estate and financial planning services did not begin when he joined the Academy. It did not even begin when he was practicing law. He began his own financial and tax planning firm in 1981. When he made the decision to pursue a Juris Doctor, he was still interested in the same basic goals – to provide high quality tax and estate planning services to those who needed it. He merely changed his emphasis from financial planning to the law. In his position at the Academy, he still has the same goals – to help other attorneys provide high quality estate planning and tax law services to their clients. Mr. Sandoval is determined to provide the most comprehensive and up-to-date legal information to Academy members. In addition, he works with members to assist them with the many educational and technical resources available from the Academy.

Professional Experience

In 1981, Dennis Sandoval formed his own boutique financial planning and tax firm where he provided services primarily to retirees and small business owners. In 1992, he was forced to reevaluate his career path as a result of a car accident. At that time, he chose to enter law school. While in law school, he began working for the Law Office of Joseph Mudd, a Professional Corporation, and stayed with them for a year and a half after receiving his Juris Doctor. While there, he practiced before the IRS and other state authorities and ran the firm’s estate planning department. When he left the firm, he joined Kavesh Minor & Otis, Inc., the largest estate planning firm in Southern California, where he ran the estate administration department and handled the bulk of the advanced estate planning clients. Mr. Sandoval is admitted to practice in all California State courts, the United States Tax Court, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court. He is a member of the American Bar Association, the California State Bar Association, the National Association of Elder Law Attorneys, and the California and National Associations of Enrolled Agents.

Education

Dennis Sandoval received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration (cum laude) from California State University at Fullerton and his Juris Doctor (cum laude) from Western States University College of Law. Mr. Sandoval has also attained his LL.M. (summa cum laude) from Golden Gate University. He is a Certified Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law Specialist and a Certified Taxation Law Specialist by the California Bar Board of Legal Specialization. He is also a Certified Financial Planner, a Certified Elder Law Attorney, a Registered Financial Consultant and an Enrolled Agent. He met the standards to be certified as a Mediator in California and is in the process of completing the Mediation certificate program through the University of California at Riverside.

Personal

Mr. Sandoval lives in Norco, California with his wife and three daughters. They are great animal lovers and currently have fourteen pets – ranging from a chinchilla to horses. When he has free time, he enjoys rare coin collecting, model ship building, scuba diving and photography.