About Attorney Silberstein

Attorney and Counsellor at Law

Attorney Silberstein specializes in estate planning for individuals and families, estate administration, probate matters, tax related issues and elder law matters. This includes the preparation of documents such as simple Wills, Trusts, and Durable Powers of Attorneys. This also includes more complex Trusts, such as, Irrevocable Insurance Trusts, QTIPs, QDOTs, Charitable Remainder Trusts, GRATs, and the like. Prior to opening her law office in 1993, in Andover, Massachusetts, Ms. Silberstein directed the Trust and Estates Department of Ronan, Segal and Harrington, a Salem, Massachusetts law firm.

Ms. Silberstein is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Syracuse University and obtained her J.D. from Hofstra University School of Law in 1984 after studying at both Boston University School of Law and Hofstra University School of Law. She received a Masters Degree in Social Policy from the Heller School, Brandeis University in February 2005, and her Ph.D. in Social Policy from the Heller School, Brandeis University, in August 2009.

She brings over twenty-five (25) years of legal experience to her practice, extensive knowledge in trusts and estates, probate matters and elder law. She distinguishes herself by getting to know and understand the long term goals of her clients and their families relative to planning for their estates and goals for younger generations within those families.

Ms. Silberstein's professional associations include the legislation and probate committees of the Massachusetts Bar Association, the National Association of Elder Law Attorneys and the Lawrence Bar Association. Ms. Silberstein represented Arts for Lawrence in the Supreme Judicial Court Case, Museum of Fine Arts v. White Fund Trustees. She is a past director of the Legal Access Project of the Women’s Resource Center, which provided legal services to victims of domestic violence.

Ms. Silberstein has previously served as a director of Shed Inc. (1994-2000), Vice-chair of the Merrimack Valley Community Foundation (2001-2004), member of the Andover Finance Committee (2000-2004), a Trustee of Essex County Community Foundation (2004-2008). She is a member of the New England Regional Board for the Anti-Defamation League.

Ms. Silberstein has written and published on estate planning and tax policy matters, namely; “Conceptions of Fair Tax Policy”, Brandeis University Graduate Student Journal, 2004; “Reform, Don’t Appeal the Estate Tax”, NAELA News, Vol 15, issue 2, March, 2003; and “History of the Death Tax”, American Bar Association Probate and Property Journal , Vol 17, No. 3, May/June 2003. Ms. Silberstein also served as a research fellow to Professor Anita Hill, Brandeis University, on a project assessing education “adequacy” litigation. (2003-2005).

Ms. Silberstein currently serves on the Advisory Council for Bipolar Research at the Massachusetts General Hospital. A Ph.D. candidate, Ms. Silberstein was recently awarded a Fellowship from the Sillerman Center for the Advancement of Philanthropy at the Heller School, Brandeis University. Ms. Silberstein is also currently serving as a member of the Long-Term Financial Planning Subcommittee for Governor Deval Patrick’s Education Readiness Project.

Debra Rahmin Silberstein, Esq., Ph.D.