Dean’s Story
Dean M. Park was born and raised in Honolulu. During his sophomore year in college, Dean volunteered with the Prosecutor’s office, which experience encouraged him to pursue a career in law, although he was unsure what area of law he wanted to practice in. Throughout Dean’s years in law school, he externed with the Honorable Eden Elizabeth Hifo, who at that time was sitting on the Civil Trial Calendar of the First Circuit Court. During this time, Dean worked on many types of disputes dealing with contract, real property, personal injury, fraud, employment, and estate related litigation, just to name a few. Dean observed that in litigation, it is very rare to see one party prevail, and often, the parties settle due to the steep cost of litigation. Moreover, the parties to a litigation proceeding are rarely satisfied with the end result, and are often frustrated with the legal system. Of the various types of disputes Dean worked on, he realized that it was possible to avoid disputes dealing with the elderly and the estates of the deceased by proactively planning for the unexpected, through comprehensive estate planning. It was at this time, Dean developed his interest in estate planning.
Vision
Dean is sincerely interested in working with and helping people plan their estates in order to ensure that their loved ones are protected and cared for in a way that avoids unnecessary disputes among family members and costly court intervention. To this end, Dean understands that each family is unique with their individual dynamics, and therefore, every estate plan should be customized to fit the client’s circumstances and goals. Moreover, Dean understands that a well thought out estate plan should not only be customized, it should also be comprehensive to deal with life’s unexpected twists and turns. Having dealt with many estate related litigation disputes, Dean is in a position to counsel clients to achieve their estate planning goals so they leave our office with the peace of mind of knowing that they took the necessary steps to plan for themselves and their families.
Background
Dean did his undergraduate studies at the University of Hawai`i at Manoa, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Political Science. Dean received his Juris Doctor from the William S. Richardson (University of Hawai`i) School of Law, with a concentration in estate planning and its related fields. Following law school, Dean served as a law clerk for the Honorable Eden Elizabeth Hifo, who sits on the civil trials calendar of the First Circuit Court. Subsequently, Dean served as a law clerk for the Honorable Colleen K. Hirai, who sits on the probate calendar of the First Circuit Court.
Prior to joining Estate Planning Group LLLC, Dean was an associate with the Est8Planning Counsel law firm where he practiced in the areas of estate planning, probate, conservatorship, guardianship, and trust administration, as well as estate-related litigation. He is a member of the Hawaii State and American Bar Associations and is admitted to practice before all state and federal courts in Hawaii. He is also a member of the Probate and Estate Planning Section and the Elder Law Section of the Hawaii Bar Association.
Interests
Dean enjoys spending time with his family and his hobbies include fishing, surfing, diving, and golfing.