Atty. Katherine N. Barr

Katherine N. Barr is Counsel in Dentons' Birmingham, Alabama office. She is a member of the Trusts, Estates & Wealth Preservation practice group and leads the Dentons Sirote Special Needs Planning team. As a lawyer in the Trusts, Estates & Wealth Preservation practice group, Katherine advises clients in planning their estates to accomplish their goals for asset distribution to beneficiaries while minimizing their estate and income tax liabilities. Katherine handles all aspects of estate planning and administration for her clients and assists families of the deceased in probate administration. However, her passion and the focus of much of her practice involves special needs planning, in which Katherine assists clients in providing for a child or family member with special needs in a way that does not jeopardize government benefits. She has worked on legislation that improves the lives of those with disabilities and assists with the settlement of personal injury cases for persons with disabilities, preparing special needs trusts to receive such settlement proceeds. Katherine also assists families with guardianships, conservatorships, and other protection matters, as well as those with disabilities who are set to receive a personal injury settlement or inheritance and need to keep SSI or Medicaid. Katherine is a frequent speaker at national, state, and local professional education seminars presenting on topics related to special needs trusts, planning for a person with a disability, estate planning, and estate administration.