Overview
Kristen Behrens is an experienced and accomplished trusts and estates attorney. Her practice involves all aspects of trust and estate planning and administration.
Kristen focuses on Special Needs Trusts, Post-Litigation Planning, Estate Planning, Estate Administration, Guardianships and Orphans’ Court Matters. Her practice also includes planning for family members with disabilities.
Kristen routinely represents banks and corporate fiduciaries on the fiduciary aspects of trust administration and is a recognized authority on the laws governing special needs trusts and court-supervised trusts. She also represents individuals and families, assisting them in navigating these complexities.
Kristen has worked on numerous large-scale mass tort settlements, as well as many high-profile cases in her career.
Kristen has been a speaker at seminars for the Fiduciary Education Foundation, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, Philadelphia Trial Lawyers, Special Needs Alliance, NAELA, New Jersey Association of Justice, ICLE, and the Academy of Special Needs Planners.
Professional & Community Activities
- Member, The Forum of Executive Women
- Board Member, American Red Cross, Delaware Valley Chapter
- Law School Board Member, Drexel Kline School of Law
- Volunteer, Penn Vet Working Dog Center
- Volunteer, The National Kidney Foundation
- Volunteer, The MS Foundation
Speeches & Presentations
- Pennsylvania Bar Institute, “Navigating the Settlement Process: Avoiding Potential Pitfalls 2020″
- ICLE – “Administering Special Needs Trusts”
- Special Needs Alliance, “Settlement Planning and Working with Personal Injury Attorneys”
- Philadelphia Trial Lawyers, “Liens, Medicare Set-Asides, and Special Needs Trusts”
- Fiduciary Education Foundation, “Special Needs Trusts and MSA’s”
- National Alliance of Medicare Set-Aside Professionals, “Special Needs Trusts and MSA’s”
- New Jersey Association of Justice, “The Ethics of Protecting Your Clients Money”
- Academy of Special Needs Planners, “Top Tips for Administering Special Needs Trusts”
- Pennsylvania Bar Institute, “Working with Personal Injury Attorneys with Special Needs Trusts”
- NAELA, “Allowable Distributions from Special Needs Trusts”
- National Business Institute, “The ACA and Personal Injury Cases”
Professional Recognition
- Listed in New Jersey Super Lawyers Rising Stars, 2018, 2021
No aspect of these rankings has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey. Further information on methodologies is available via these links.
Insights
- Best Lawyers Names Dilworth Paxson Among 2025 Best Law Firms
- Empowering Voices: Dilworth’s Women Leaders Illuminate Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
- Dilworth Paxson Names Kristen Behrens as First Female Managing Partner in 90-Year History
- Tax Provisions Included in President Biden’s Newly-Proposed American Families Plan
- ALERT: End of Year Estate, Gift and Income Tax Update
- Dilworth Paxson Partner Kristen L. Behrens Shares Legal Expertise in Virtual Q+A With the Pennsylvania Bar Institute
- Dilworth Attorneys Named 2018 New Jersey Super Lawyers and Rising Stars
- Dilworth Paxson Promotes Five Attorneys Within the Firm’s Partnership