Beti Tsai Bergman

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.

• Probate
• Estate Planning

• 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.

California

Since 1997

California

State Bar of California

ID Number: 190767

Since 1997

Founder and Principal Attorney

Peninsula Law, a Professional Law Corporation

2006 - Current

Deputy City Attorney

Los Angeles City Attorney's Office

2002 - 2005

University of California - Davis

J.D. (1997) | Law

1994 - 1997

Honors: UC Davis Law Review

California State University - Long Beach

M.S. (1993) | Applied Mathematics

1990 - 1993

Honors: Departmental Distinction

Activities: Pre-Law Society; Math Students Association

University of California - Los Angeles

B.S. (1988) | Applied Mathematics

1986

Activities: Pre-Law Society, Kappa Alpha Theta sorority.

Super Lawyer

Super Lawyers

2019

Super Lawyer

Super Lawyers

2018

Top 3 Estate Planning Lawyers

Three Best Rated

2018

Named as a Top 3 Estate Planning Lawyer by ThreeBestRated. 

Best of Torrance Award

Torrance Award Program

2018

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

2018

Named as a 10 Best Estate Planning Attorney by the American Institute of Legal Counsel. 

Top Attorney

Los Angeles Magazine

2018

Named as Top Attorney by Los Angeles Magazine.

Advocate Designation

National Institute of Trial Advocacy

2015

President's Award

Southern California Chinese Lawyers' Association

2007

UC Davis Law Review, member

University of California, Davis

1996

Member of UC Davis Law Review. 

Graduated with distinction

Cal State University at Long Beach

1994

Los Angeles County Superior Court

Judge Pro Tem

2019 - Current

Los Angeles Superior Court

Probate Court Settlement Officer

2019 - Current

Torrance Memorial Medical Center

Professional Advisory Council

2017 - Current

Los Angeles County Bar Association

Trust & Estates Executive Committee

2017 - Current

Activities: Chair, Advisory Committee for Motion to Expand LPS & Probate Conservatorships

NITA (National Institute of Trial Advocacy)

Faculty Teacher

2017 - Current

South Bay Inn of Court

Member

2016 - Current

Los Angeles County Superior Court

Probate Court-Appointed Counsel Panel

2008 - Current

Asian Pacific Women Lawyers’ Alliance

2000 - Current

Activities: Immediate Past-President & MCLE Chair - 2019

California State Bar # 190767

Member

1997 - Current

Bench-Bar Coalition

Member-at-Large

2018 - 2019

Los Angeles County Bar Association

LRS Advisory Committee

2016 - 2018

South Bay Bar Association

Probate Co-Chair

2016 - 2018

Los Angeles County Superior Court

Volunteer Mediator

2012 - 2013

Probate Court Guardianship Clinic

Volunteer

2011 - 2013

Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association

Past President, Board of Governors, Chair, Trial Skills Workshop

2001 - 2008

LACBA iTAP and TAP (Trial Advocacy Project)

2002 - 2003

UCLA Asian Pacific Alumni

Board of Directors

2001 - 2003

Estate and Incapacity Planning II

August 22, 2017

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”

November 10, 2017

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

January 3, 2019

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

January 26, 2018

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

April 14, 2018

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”

September 6, 2018

Los Angeles City Club

Seleted to represent the Asian legal community to present issue and question to Gavin Newsom.

Quarterly Mentoring Circle

September 9, 2018

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

October 20, 2018

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

December 21, 2018

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

May 7, 2019

LACBA, Los Angeles Superior Court, Central, District

Welcome to EPIC and How to Take the Specialization Exam, Oakland, CA

June 13, 2019

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”

July 29, 2019

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

March 24, 2017

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

October 4, 2016

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.

Certified Specialist - Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law

State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization

2014