Barbara Bergstein | Attorney at Law | Estate Planning -

Practicing Law in the following areas:

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Unique Considerations For Individuals With Special Needs
posted by Barbara Bergstein

The Special Needs Trust or Supplemental Needs Trust (“SNT”) is a form of discretionary spendthrift trust designed to protect a disabled beneficiary’s government benefits while providing a supplemental fund to provide services and programs not otherwise provided by programs such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Medicaid, Medi-Cal in California. More...

Spotlight on Barbara Bergstein, Volunteer Attorney for the Cancer Legal Resource Center
by Audrey Kraus, ESQ

Barbara Bergstein is a longstanding volunteer attorney for the Cancer Legal Resource Center’s pro bono panel and a crucial supporter of its mission to help people with cancer resolve the legal issues that arise as a result of a cancer diagnosis. Barbara currently practices at the law firm of Burgh, Balian & Bergstein where she specializes in elder law and estate planning for wills, trusts, and special needs trusts. Throughout her legal career, Barbara has shared the expertise that she has cultivated in her private practice to provide pro bono assistance to people in need, including the many callers that the CLRC has sent her way.. More...

About Barbara Bergstein

Barbara Bergstein specializes in elder law and estate planning. Her practice includes estate and gift taxation planning, asset preservation for government benefits (Medi-Cal), durable powers of attorney and probate, including probate and trust controversy.

Ms. Bergstein is frequently consulted regarding the uses and drafting of special needs trusts for families with disabled children. In addition, she frequently drafts special needs trusts in personal injury settlements for disabled minors and adults.

Ms. Bergstein is the author of “The Uses of Irrevocable Special Needs Trusts in Gift and Estate Tax Planning” which appeared in Tax Information Perspectives, a publication of the Estate & Gift Tax Subcommittee, California Tax Bar.

She is the parent of a child with Autism and has experienced first hand the heartache and struggles of having a loved one with special needs. She has served as a board member of the Autism Society of Los Angeles and often speaks to parents about the rights of children disabilities.

Ms. Bergstein is a frequent lecturer for the State Bar of California, AICPA, and the CalCPA Education Foundation.

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