Beti Tsai Bergman

Beti Tsai Bergman

Trusted Counsel for Life and Legacy
  • Probate, Estate Planning
  • California
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Biography

Beti Tsai Bergman is the principal shareholder of the law firm, Peninsula Law, A Professional Law Corporation. Her firm specializes in probate, trusts, estates, conservatorships, and financial elder abuse. Ms. Bergman has extensive experience in representing conservators, trustees, and executors, as well as, heirs and beneficiaries in uncontested and contested trust and estate matters. Before specializing in probate, Ms. Bergman was a Deputy City Attorney for City of Los Angeles and was a business litigator in private practice.
Ms. Bergman is certified by the California Board of Legal Specialization in estate planning, trust and probate law and has earned a Master Advocate Designation from the National Institute of Trial Advocacy, where she returns as a faculty instructor for their annual Building Trial Skills Program at Loyola Law School. Ms. Bergman has also been named as a Southern California Super Lawyer, listed among the Super Lawyers Top Women in Southern California, named as a Top Attorney by Los Angeles Magazine, as a 10 Best Estate Planning Attorney by the American Institute of Legal Counsel, a Top 3 estate planning lawyer in Torrance by ThreeBestRated, and Peninsula Law has been selected for the 2018 Best of Torrance Award in the Local Business Category by the Torrance Award Program.

Practice Areas
Probate
Probate Administration, Probate Litigation, Will Contests
Estate Planning
Guardianship & Conservatorship Estate Administration, Health Care Directives, Trusts, Wills
Fees
  • Credit Cards Accepted
  • Contingent Fees
    Taking cases on contingency will depend on the nature of the case and the value of the client's interest in the estate.
Jurisdictions Admitted to Practice
California
State Bar of California
ID Number: 190767
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Languages
  • English: Spoken, Written
Professional Experience
Founder and Principal Attorney
Peninsula Law, a Professional Law Corporation
- Current
Deputy City Attorney
Los Angeles City Attorney's Office
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Education
University of California - Davis
J.D. (1997) | Law
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Honors: UC Davis Law Review
University of California - Davis Logo
California State University - Long Beach
M.S. (1993) | Applied Mathematics
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Honors: Departmental Distinction
Activities: Pre-Law Society; Math Students Association
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University of California - Los Angeles
B.S. (1988) | Applied Mathematics
Activities: Pre-Law Society, Kappa Alpha Theta sorority.
University of California - Los Angeles Logo
Awards
Super Lawyer
Super Lawyers
Super Lawyer
Super Lawyers
Top 3 Estate Planning Lawyers
Three Best Rated
Named as a Top 3 Estate Planning Lawyer by ThreeBestRated. 
Best of Torrance Award
Torrance Award Program
Selected for the 2018 Best of Torrance Award in the Local Business Category by the Torrance Award Program.
10 Best Estate Planning Attorney
American Institute of Legal Counsel
Named as a 10 Best Estate Planning Attorney by the American Institute of Legal Counsel. 
Top Attorney
Los Angeles Magazine
Named as Top Attorney by Los Angeles Magazine.
Advocate Designation
National Institute of Trial Advocacy
President's Award
Southern California Chinese Lawyers' Association
UC Davis Law Review, member
University of California, Davis
Member of UC Davis Law Review. 
Graduated with distinction
Cal State University at Long Beach
Professional Associations
Los Angeles County Superior Court
Judge Pro Tem
- Current
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Los Angeles Superior Court
Probate Court Settlement Officer
- Current
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Torrance Memorial Medical Center
Professional Advisory Council
- Current
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Los Angeles County Bar Association
Trust & Estates Executive Committee
- Current
Activities: Chair, Advisory Committee for Motion to Expand LPS & Probate Conservatorships
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NITA (National Institute of Trial Advocacy)
Faculty Teacher
- Current
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South Bay Inn of Court
Member
- Current
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Los Angeles County Superior Court
Probate Court-Appointed Counsel Panel
- Current
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Asian Pacific Women Lawyers’ Alliance
- Current
Activities: Immediate Past-President & MCLE Chair - 2019
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California State Bar  # 190767
Member
- Current
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Bench-Bar Coalition
Member-at-Large
-
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Los Angeles County Bar Association
LRS Advisory Committee
-
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South Bay Bar Association
Probate Co-Chair
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Los Angeles County Superior Court
Volunteer Mediator
-
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Probate Court Guardianship Clinic
Volunteer
-
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Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association
Past President, Board of Governors, Chair, Trial Skills Workshop
-
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LACBA iTAP and TAP (Trial Advocacy Project)
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UCLA Asian Pacific Alumni
Board of Directors
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Speaking Engagements
Estate and Incapacity Planning II
CEB
Presented program to attorneys seeking to be certified by the CA State Board of Legal Specialization in estate planning, trust, and probate law on the topics of retirement benefit planning, business succession planning, use of business entities, charitable planning, and gifts
Probate Litigation 101: Nuts and Bolts”
Pincus Professional Education
Presented segments on statutory deadlines in estate and trust litigation proceedings, procedural aspects of petitions, motions, and ex parte applications, civil discovery procedures, capacity, and 850 petitions.
Building Trial Skills, Loyola Law School, Los Angeles
National Institute of Trial Advocacy (“NITA”),
Faculty instructor for one-week trial skills workshop. Instructed attorneys on how to practice and perfect trial skills in trial advocacy, persuasion, and communication. Held in realistic trial setting where participants actively performed opening statements, closing arguments, direct and cross-examinations, impeachment, evidentiary foundations, voir dire, and a full jury trial.
Judge Beverly Reid O’Connell Power Lunch Program
Los Angeles Superior Court, Central, District
Helped provide civic education, judicial mentorship, and exposure to the judicial branch for high school students from underserved communities. Participated in mentoring sessions with students, worked through legal educational exercises with students, and answered student questions about the practice of law.
Protecting Yourself, Your Assets, and Your Relationships
Torrance Memorial Medical Center, Professional Advisory Council
Speaker for seminar to educate the public on how elder abuse can happen, how to recognize and address it, and what type of legal protetions you can put in place to try to prevent it.
Los Angeles Minority/Ethnic Bar Association Meet & Greet Event with Gavin Newsom”
Los Angeles City Club
Seleted to represent the Asian legal community to present issue and question to Gavin Newsom.
Quarterly Mentoring Circle
APAWLA
As one of my main focuses as President of APAWLA, we enhanced our mentoring efforts and partnered up with our sister bar, SCCLA, to present our inaugural joint quarterly mentoring circle to advance and support young women lawyers.
Know Your Limits: PVP Training for the Limited Conservatorship Practitioner
LACBA
Speaker for seminar presented to PVP attorneys on the topic of limited conservatorships focusing on understanding the proposed conservtor and proposed conservatee and family dynamics, the seven powers involved in limited conservatorships, modification of those powers, and the proposed conservatee’s voting rights.
Conservatorships, Probate, and Estate Planning
Alzheimer’s Support Group, Cerritos Senior Center
Presented a basic seminar to an Alzheimer’s support group to educate them about how get a conservatorship to have the legal authoirty to act and protect a person who has lost capacity, and how to put proper estate planning instruments in place to prevent the possibility of a consevatorship
Trial Preparation and Advocacy: Part II
LACBA, Los Angeles Superior Court, Central, District
Welcome to EPIC and How to Take the Specialization Exam, Oakland, CA
CEB
Presented seminar about how to take the Probate Specialization Exam and what to expect on the day of the exam. Discussed a sample essay question and a sample mulitple choice question. Demonstrated how to outline answers to questions and how to best manage time during the exam.
“Conservatorship Basics 101”
CEB
Presented webcast about the basics of conservatorships, when conservatorships are needed, the difference between conservatorships and powers of attorney and other estate planning instruments, court proceedings involved, and different types of conservatorships.
Drafting Revocable Living Trusts: Tricky Clauses, CEB Live Webcast, Torrance, CA
CEB
Beti Tsai Bergman gave a live presentation for CEB (Continuing Education of the Bar) on the topic of Drafting Revocable Trusts: Tricky Clauses. The presentation was an in-depth focus on select tricky and hence problematic clauses found in a revocable trust that raise challenges and confusion for estate planners. Ms. Bergman taught what the clauses mean and provided sensible guidance to help aid practitioners in the trust drafting process.
Drafting Revocable Living Trusts: Tricky Clauses, CEB Live Webcast, Torrance, CA
CEB
Beti Tsai Bergman gave a live presentation for CEB (Continuing Education of the Bar) on the topic of Drafting Revocable Trusts: Tricky Clauses. The presentation was an in-depth focus on select tricky and hence problematic clauses found in a revocable trust that raise challenges and confusion for estate planners. Ms. Bergman taught what the clauses mean and provided sensible guidance to help aid practitioners in the trust drafting process.
Drafting Revocable Living Trusts: Tricky Clauses, CEB Live Webcast, Torrance, CA
CEB
Beti Tsai Bergman gave a live presentation for CEB (Continuing Education of the Bar) on the topic of Drafting Revocable Trusts: Tricky Clauses. The presentation was an in-depth focus on select tricky and hence problematic clauses found in a revocable trust that raise challenges and confusion for estate planners. Ms. Bergman taught what the clauses mean and provided sensible guidance to help aid practitioners in the trust drafting process.
Amending a Revocable Living Trust, CEB Live Webcast, Torrance, CA
CEB
Beti Tsai Bergman presented a CEB (Continuing Education of the Bar) live webcast on the topic of Amending a Revocable Living Trust. Ms. Bergman taught the mechanics and best practices about how to amend a revocable living trust.
Certifications
Certified Specialist - Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law
State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization
Websites & Blogs
Website
Peninsula Law
Contact & Map
Peninsula Law, A Professional Law Corporation
3220 Sepulveda Blvd.
Suite 203
Torrance, CA 90505
US
Telephone: (310) 694-8703
Fax: (866) 449-6181