Attorney introduction

The disability community is diverse and in many cases, there are numerous ways to maintain eligibility for benefits. The policy of the Golden State Pooled Trust is that all potential beneficiaries should be counseled by an attorney prior to joining GSPT to ensure that the beneficiary understands what his or her options are before making a decision.

Each of the attorneys that refer cases to the Golden State Pooled Trust are independent attorneys and are encouraged to assist potential beneficiaries to explore the least restrictive and cost effective alternatives prior to assisting beneficiaries in joining GSPT.

Attorney fees incurred to counsel and set up a GSPT account for your client are paid from the trust account upon receipt of funds.
If you would like to be included on our list of referring attorneys, please contact GSPT.

A Joinder Agreement is the contract by which a beneficiary enrolls as a participant in the trust. The beneficiary or the beneficiary’s legal representative (“beneficiary advocate”) is required to sign the Joinder Agreement. The Advocate Acceptance of Duties form will make the advocate a party to the Joinder Agreement.

The Joinder Agreement establishes an individual account with the trust for the benefit of a beneficiary. The Joinder Agreement also contains information about the beneficiary, the beneficiary’s legal representative (if any), any final remainder beneficiaries, and the rights and obligations of the parties.

By execution of the Joinder Agreement and related enrollment documents, the parties to the Joinder Agreement agree to the terms of the trust and acknowledge that upon the funding of a beneficiary’s individual account with the contributed amount, the beneficiary shall relinquish and release all control over the assets in the individual account.

For more information on the Joinder Agreement, please click here.

Please note that the assets contributed to an individual account are irrevocably assigned, transferred, conveyed, and delivered to the trustee to be used for the sole benefit of the beneficiary and as set forth in the trust and the Golden State Pooled Trust Procedure Manual.