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Beti Tsai Bergman

Litigation Attorney at Torrance, CA

5.0   7 reviews
Virtual consultation available
Virtual consultation available
  • Licensed for 25 years
    State CA
    Acquired 1997
    Status
    Active No misconduct found

We have not found any instances of professional misconduct for this lawyer.

About Beti

Learn Beti’s areas of practice.

5
Practice areas
  1. Litigation
    45%
    Litigation can arise in estate matters in a variety of contexts, such as, when trustees fail to fulfill their fiduciary obligations, a conservatorship is contested, or a elder citizen is a victim of financial abuse and undue influence. Beti Bergman has litigated numerous estate matters and represented both trustees and beneficiaries in pursuing their legal rights.

  2. Probate
    20%
    Probate is the legal process used to carry out a person's will after their death; a probate attorney advises you on how to perform the steps in the process. In general, once you have identified and collected the dead person's belongings, including their money, property, and other assets, you pay the person's debts and taxes. Once all debts have been paid, you distribute their money and property according to the language of the will. If there is no will, then intestacy laws apply.

  3. Trusts
    20%
    A trust is an arrangement whereby someone owns and manages money or property for another person's benefit. A trustee has decision-making authority over the trust property, but no court is involved in the trustee's action–the person who creates the trust defines the scope of the trustee's power. There are many different trust types, including living trusts, special needs trusts, and inheritance protection trusts.

  4. Elder law
    5%

  5. Estate planning
    5%
    "Estate" is the legal term used to define your property and money. Beti Bergman advised you about different strategies you can use to transfer your belongings after you die. By planning your estate, you can maximize its value by minimizing taxes and eliminating court costs and interference. Beti Bergman helps you control and protect your estate during your lifetime, by writing documents that allow you to transfer property and money to beneficiaries of your choice.

  6. Power of attorney
    5%
    Beti Bergman has expertise in drafting powers of attorney to make sure the decision-making authority you are giving someone matches what you have in mind. A power of attorney is a document you sign to give someone else the right to make legal decisions for you. You determine the decision makers' authority by the language used in the power of attorney; you can limit it to health matters, financial issues, or any combination of powers that suits your needs.

CERTIFIED BY CA STATE BAR AS A LEGAL SPECIALIST IN ESTATE PLANNING, TRUST AND PROBATE LAW.

 

Beti Bergman is an attorney and counselor at law dedicated to serving her clients with judgment, courtesy, and diligence. In 1997, she started her legal career as a business litigator and then joined the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office in 2003 where she was civil litigator handling nuisance abatement matters. When Beti became a mother, the importance of caring for a family and assuring the protection of family values and assets became of utmost importance in her life. Beti started her own private practice in probate, trusts, and estates. She began applying her legal skills to help families preserve their assets and values and make important legal decisions for themselves and those they love.

 

Her now thriving law practice focuses exclusively on probate, trust and estate administration, conservatorships, estate planning, and litigation, such as, elder abuse, fraud, will and trust contests, and beneficiary rights. Beti is extremely passionate in these areas of law. Estates can go awry due to poor planning or rogue family members or neighbors who take advantage of an elderly loved one, either by influencing them to bequest assets to them or by misappropriating property once they gain control over an estate. Beti has the keen analytical skills to untangle a complicated estate and has the enthusiasm to vigorously pursue correction of these wrongs. Because she administers and litigates trusts and estates, she knows how to devise an estate plan that will avoid common pitfalls and vulnerabilities at the back end. Because she prepares estate plans, Beti understands the direction that an estate plan was supposed to take when families approach her with a misdirected will or trust. And, the most important trait that Beti has in this field is that she knows how to talk to families as real people and not just in “legalese.”

 

Beti received her Juris Doctorate from UC Davis School of Law, where she was a member of law review. She also earned a Master of Science degree in applied mathematics from Long Beach State with distinction, and a Bachelor of Science degree in applied mathematics from UCLA.

 

Throughout her legal career, Beti has been active in the community. She actively serves on the board of the Asian Pacific American Women Lawyers' Alliance and has served on the board of the Multi-Cultural Bar Alliance and the UCLA Asian Pacific Alumni Board of Directors. She is also a past president of the Southern California Chinese Lawyers' Association, where she served on the Board of Governors for eight years and headed up the virtual reality trial skills workshop for four years.

 

Beti also serves on the Los Angeles Superior Court Probate Volunteer Panel of attorneys and the court’s Guardianship Volunteer Panel. She has also worked as a volunteer mediator in Torrance Court. Her speaking engagements include panels discussing women in the law, mothers balancing career and family, and preparing for advanced age healthcare and financial care.

Photos and videos

Contact Beti

Beti Tsai Bergman
3220 Sepulveda Blvd
Suite 203
Torrance, CA, 90505

Reviews

5.0 / 5.0
  7 customer reviews
5 Star
 
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Posted by Norma | September 19, 2018
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Trust Litigation
Beti did a fantastic job. She is compassionate and honest, direct and patient with us when it was warranted. Very skilled in interpreting or reading the courtroom's temperature. She comes prepared and manages precarious courtroom situations with aplomb. Everything that needed to be done, she managed to pull it all together, handled promptly with great detail by her and her office. I am extremely pleased with the successful outcome of our case!
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Posted by LL | August 27, 2018
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Trust Litigation
I hired Beti to represent me in a family dispute that had been brewing and knew would become extremely contentious. To save costs, Beti directed the associate lawyer who later left but then was replaced by another associate attorney, Lorne who was very detail oriented, responsive and capable. I was always advised honestly of what would happen. Beti and Lorne did not escalate any matter in order to pad their bill. Beti is a tough lawyer and not afraid to fight. But she and her associate always gave me the landscape of options and what would happen if I chose one option over the other. And when I did chose an option, they played a strong hand. It was a painfully emotional and protracted ordeal, and in the end, it concluded in a way that I still kept my rights, stopped the one upsmanship with the other side, and my restored my well-being.
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Posted by Jennifer | August 14, 2018
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Excellent Probate and Litigation Attorney
I met Beti almost two years ago after my husband helped me search and search and finally narrow down the right attorney to represent my case. Her area of expertise, in living trusts, probation and litigation, was exactly what I was looking for. However, her upmost qualities of being a mother and protecting family values is what connected me to her. Beti and her team, at Peninsula Law, were amazing to work with. Beti tactfully handled my situation and continuously followed up with me to make sure we were always on the same page. She successfully represented me when my case went through litigation and a few appeals. My case recently closed. I can truly say she surpassed my expectations and helped my family and I, ease in the transition of one of the most difficult times in my life. I would highly recommend working with Beti and definitely plan to work with her again in the planning of my own personal legal decisions for my family. Thank You Beti for being passionate in the work that you do!
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Posted by Sunil | February 6, 2017
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Great Probate Attorney
I had to go through a number of probate attorneys before I retained Beti Bergman as my counsel. Beti is the best attorney I have ever met. Not only is she extremely knowledgeable of the probate process, she is also very hard working and works on your case with a lot of heart. Also, Beti is excellent in staying in touch and returns all my emails. She is very strategic, focused and has integrity. I highly recommend Beti to anyone involved in the probate litigation.
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Posted by Cindy | January 27, 2017
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Excellent Probate Attorney
Beti represented myself and other family members in a probate dispute. Beti was extremely knowledgeable about the probate process and provided excellent counsel at each stage of our case. She worked in a very professional and efficient manner and provided appropriate communication so that we were well informed. We were very satisfied with her representation both in court hearings and during mediation. Her representation and input throughout mediation were instrumental to the successful resolution of our case.
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Posted by Marshall | August 5, 2016
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Best attorney for complicated trust litigation
Our trust litigation was a nightmare involving another attorney who was representing a co-trustee. The attorney and other trustee were attempting to act as sole trustees and did everything possible not to cooperate. They both withdrew funds unilaterally without consent and without proper receipts, filed false court documents, including 6 different accountings, reported that the co-trustee had filed tax returns when he had not and, in general, did all he could to draw the litigation out so he and his client could deplete the trust's funds. She took over from our previous attorney who was in way above his head. For a complicated, difficult case she came through for us. Throughout the entire case, she kept me updated with timely emails and always replied to any questions I would have. I would highly recommend Ms. Bergman if you want results. She is a professional through and through and is highly skilled and knowledgeable.
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Posted by Florence | July 9, 2016
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Florence Rowe
Beti is very professional and knowledgeable in her field of expertise. I only wish I had contacted her earlier, as she had a task cleaning up the mess my previous counsel made. She is very supportive and an outstanding listener. She explains everything in detail so I always understood where we were in my case. I would recommend her to anyone, and call her again if I was ever in need of her services.
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Cost

Rates
  • Hourly Rates $ 400-450 per hour
Payment methods
Cash, Check, Credit Card

Resume

AVVO RATING 10.0 (Superb)

Work Experience

  • Founder
  • Peninsula Law
  • 2006 - Present
  • Deputy City Attorney
  • Los Angeles City Attorney's Office
  • 2002 - 2005

Education

  • University of California at Davis School of Law
  • JD - Juris Doctor
  • 1997
  • California State University, Long Beach
  • MS - Master of Science
  • 1993
  • University of California - Los Angeles
  • BS - Bachelor of Science
  • 1988

Associations

  • Torrance Memorial Medical Center
  • Professional Advisory Council
  • 2017 - Present
  • NITA (National Institute of Trial Advocacy)
  • Faculty Teacher
  • 2017 - Present
  • LA County Bar Trust & Estates Executive Committee
  • Executive Committee Member
  • 2017 - Present
  • South Bay Bar Association (LA)
  • Probate Co-Chair
  • 2016 - Present
  • South Bay Inn of Court
  • Member
  • 2016 - Present
  • Los Angeles County Bar Association
  • LRS Advisory Committee
  • 2016 - Present
  • Long Beach Bar Association
  • Member
  • 2013 - Present
  • Los Angeles Superior Court
  • Probate Court Volunteer Panel (PVP Counsel)
  • 2008 - Present
  • State Bar of California
  • Trust & Estates Member
  • 2008 - Present
  • Asian Pacific American Women Lawyers Association
  • Immediate Past-President
  • 2000 - Present
  • Los Angeles County Bar Association, Trusts and Estates Section
  • Member
  • 1998 - Present
  • Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association
  • Past President, Officer, & Board of Governors
  • 2001 - 2008
  • UCLA Asian Pacific Alumni
  • Board of Directors
  • 2001 - 2003
View all associations

Languages Spoken

  • Taiwanese

Honors and Awards

  • Super Lawyer
  • Super Lawyers
  • 2019
  • Super Lawyer
  • Super Lawyers
  • 2018
  • Advocate Designation
  • National Institute for Trial Advocacy
  • 2015
  • Certified Specialist - Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law
  • State Bar of California
  • 2014
View all awards

Speaking Engagements

  • Conservatorship Basics 101”
  • Webcast about the basics of conservatorships.
  • 2019
  • Welcome to EPIC and How to Take the Specialization Exam”
  • How to take the Probate Specialization Exam (seminar).
  • 2019
  • Building Trial Skills
  • Trial Skills Workshop
  • 2019
  • Conservatorships, Probate, and Estate Planning
  • Seminar for Alzheimer’s support group - how get a conservatorship.
  • 2018
  • Know Your Limits: PVP Training for the Limited Conservatorship Practitioner
  • Seminar for PVP Attorneys - Limited Conservatorships
  • 2018
  • Quarterly Mentoring Circle
  • Mentoring
  • 2018
  • Los Angeles Minority/Ethnic Bar Association Meet & Greet Event with Gavin Newsom
  • Meet & Greet - Gavin Newsom
  • 2018
  • Protecting Yourself, Your Assets, and Your Relationships
  • Elder Abuse
  • 2018
  • Judge Beverly Reid O’Connell Power Lunch Program
  • Civic Education and Judicial Mentorship
  • 2018
  • CEB Live Webcast MCLE
  • Drafting Revocable Trusts: Tricky Clauses
  • 2017
  • Probate Litigation 101: Nuts and Bolts
  • Probate Litigation
  • 2017
  • CEB Live Webcast MCLE
  • Amending Revocable Living Trusts
  • 2016
View all speaking engagements

Attorney endorsements

Received (5)
Given (1)
Endorse Beti
Probate Attorney | May 07
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I endorse this lawyer. Beti is an excellent attorney. I have referred clients to her and they have always been happy with her work. I highly recommend Beti."
Unknown Attorney | Apr 26
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I endorse this lawyer."
Unknown Attorney | Apr 20
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I endorse this lawyer."
Estate planning Attorney | Mar 21
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I endorse this lawyer. I have known Beti for over 15 years and I know her to be bright, honest and reliable. I would not hesitate to go with her for legal advice regarding estate planning and asset protection matters, or probate matters. And, in fact, I have gone to her for advice in those areas."
Probate Attorney | Oct 14
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"Beti has an excellent reputation and is highly regarded in the legal community. She is a past president of the Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association."
Lawsuits and disputes

Avvo Contributions

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Torrance Litigation Lawyer Beti Tsai Bergman
Beti Tsai Bergman
Litigation Attorney
Torrance, CA
Licensed for 25 years
Virtual consultation available