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San Jose, California

Estate Planning Attorney in San Jose, California.

Robert P. Bergman has practiced as an estate planning attorney in San Jose since 1980. He is one of roughly 1% of California attorneys certified as a specialist by the State Bar in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law. Robert P. Bergman personally drafts every plan he sells. Office at 3535 Ross Avenue in the Cambrian Park neighborhood of San Jose; meetings also available by Zoom for clients across Santa Clara County and California.

How Robert P. Bergman serves San Jose families.

Robert P. Bergman has practiced in Santa Clara County for 46 years. He has filed estate plans for families across San Jose, from Almaden and Willow Glen to Berryessa and North San Jose. The mix of Silicon Valley primary residences, technology compensation, and multi-generational families means San Jose plans need real attention to property tax under Prop 19, to RSU and ISO timing, and to the funding step that quietly determines whether the trust actually works.

Every plan includes a revocable living trust, a pour-over will, durable powers of attorney for finances, and an advance health care directive. For families with minor children, the plan also names guardians. For families with a special needs child, a separate special needs trust preserves Medi-Cal and SSI eligibility.

Robert P. Bergman drafts every plan himself. The same attorney named on the door reads every page, attends the signing appointment, and answers your questions afterward.

What the engagement looks like.

The first step is a Plan Design Meeting. Robert P. Bergman asks about your family, your assets, your concerns, and the people you want to involve. He gives you a written recommendation and a fixed fee estimate at the end of the meeting.

After you decide to move forward, Robert P. Bergman drafts the documents. A draft review meeting walks you through the plan in plain language so you understand exactly what you are signing. The signing appointment formalizes the documents. Funding (retitling assets into the trust) is the final step, and Robert P. Bergman walks you through it step by step.

Most plans are signed within three to six weeks of the initial meeting.

What sets this work apart.

  • California State Bar Certified Specialist.

    Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law. Held by roughly 1% of California attorneys. Re-certification required every five years.

  • Practicing in Santa Clara County since 1980.

    Forty-six years of San Jose estate planning experience. Other attorneys send Robert P. Bergman their hardest trust petitions.

  • Robert P. Bergman drafts every plan himself.

    No paralegal hand-offs. No template factory. The attorney named on the door reads every page.

  • Trust petitions filed in counties across California.

    Heggstad and irrevocable trust modification petitions for clients throughout California, not only Santa Clara County.

Common questions

Estate Planning Attorney in San Jose, California FAQ.

Robert P. Bergman is one of a small number of California State Bar Certified Specialists in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law practicing in San Jose. The certification is held by roughly 1% of California attorneys. Robert P. Bergman has practiced in Santa Clara County since 1980 and personally drafts every estate plan, no paralegal hand-offs.

A typical San Jose estate plan from Robert P. Bergman includes a revocable living trust, a pour-over will, durable powers of attorney, and an advance health care directive. Final fees depend on complexity and family situation. Robert P. Bergman quotes a fixed fee at the initial Consultation after reviewing your assets and goals.

A San Jose estate planning attorney drafts the documents that direct what happens to your assets, your minor children, and your health care decisions. The standard package is a revocable living trust to avoid probate, a pour-over will, durable powers of attorney for finances, and an advance health care directive. A specialist also handles Heggstad and trust modification petitions, special needs trusts, and Prop 19 planning.

Three things to look for: a board-certified specialist credential from the State Bar of California, an attorney who personally drafts your plan instead of handing it off to a paralegal, and a documented track record in the trust petition work that signals real expertise. Robert P. Bergman meets all three. Ask the same questions of every attorney you interview.

A will alone leaves California assets to probate, a slow and expensive court process. Most San Jose families with a home use a revocable living trust instead. If your existing plan is more than five years old, predates Prop 19 (February 2021), or was generated by an online service, a review with a specialist is worth the time.

Schedule a Free Consultation with Robert P. Bergman.

Robert P. Bergman reads the documents you bring, listens to your situation, and quotes a fixed fee. The first meeting is a free Consultation.