Cambrian Park
Office neighborhood, off Highway 85
Office
Service Area · San Jose, California
Estate planning attorney in San Jose.
Robert P. Bergman has served San Jose families since 1980. The office sits at 3535 Ross Avenue in the Cambrian Park neighborhood, with freeway access from Highways 17 and 85. Estate plans, trusts, Heggstad petitions, trust modification, probate, and Prop 19 planning, drafted by a California State Bar Certified Specialist.
The Law Offices of Robert P. Bergman serves San Jose families from a Cambrian Park office on Ross Avenue. Bob is a California State Bar Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law, a credential held by roughly 1% of California attorneys. He has drafted estate plans, handled trust administration, and filed Heggstad and trust modification petitions for Santa Clara County families since 1980.
San Jose Neighborhoods
From Almaden to Berryessa, the families Bob has served.
San Jose is a city of distinct neighborhoods. The estate planning concerns shift block to block. High-value primary residences in Willow Glen and Almaden. Tech-compensation families in North San Jose and Berryessa. Multi-generational households throughout the east and south sides.
Willow Glen
High-value primary residences, Prop 19 country
Almaden Valley
Multi-generational families, mature estates
Rose Garden
Historic homes, classic trust planning
Berryessa & North San Jose
Tech compensation, RSU and ISO planning
Evergreen
New construction, growing families
Silver Creek
High-net-worth homes, estate tax exposure
Downtown & Japantown
Condominium owners, in-city retirees
Why San Jose Families Call Bob
Four decades of Santa Clara County practice.
Bob has practiced in Santa Clara County for over four decades. The mix of high-value primary residences, technology compensation, and multi-generational households means San Jose estate plans need real attention. A template will not do.
Other San Jose attorneys send their hardest trust petitions to Bob because the work rewards specialization. He drafts every plan personally. No paralegal hand-offs. No template factory. The attorney named on the door reads every page.
- Certified SpecialistState Bar of California, Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law. Held by less than 1% of attorneys.
- Drafts every plan personallyBob reads every page. The Plan Design Meeting, the draft review, and the signing are all with him.
- Serving San Jose since 1980From Almaden Valley to Berryessa, plans signed in the Ross Avenue conference room.
The Two San Jose Addresses
Where the planning happens, and where the court does.
Bob’s San Jose practice runs between two buildings: the Ross Avenue office in Cambrian Park, where the plans are designed and signed, and the Downtown Superior Courthouse, where the petitions are filed and the hearings are held.
Law Offices of Robert P. Bergman
Estate planning & trust petitions
3535 Ross Avenue, Suite 200San Jose, California 95124
Santa Clara County Superior Court
Probate Division · Downtown Courthouse
191 North First StreetSan Jose, California 95113
Services for San Jose Clients
The work Bob handles, all under one roof.
The full estate planning practice, plus the petitions other firms send to Bob.
Estate Planning
Trust, will, powers of attorney, and advance health care directive for San Jose families.
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Revocable Living Trusts
The centerpiece of the plan. Drafted, funded, and amended under California law.
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Special Needs Trusts
Plans that preserve Medi-Cal and SSI eligibility for a child or family member.
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Heggstad Petitions
Probate Code §850 petitions filed at the Downtown San Jose courthouse.
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Trust Modification
Petitions to modify, reform, or terminate an irrevocable trust under §§15403, 15409, or decanting.
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Prop 19 Planning
Property-tax planning for San Jose homeowners and inherited Silicon Valley real estate.
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Powers of Attorney & AHCDs
The two incapacity documents in every standard California plan.
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Trust Administration
Successor trustee work after a settlor’s death.
Learn moreDirections & Meeting Options
Getting to the Ross Avenue office.
The office sits at 3535 Ross Avenue, Suite 200, in the Cambrian Park neighborhood of San Jose. Freeway access from Highway 17 and Highway 85. On-site parking. Most clients drive in from Almaden, Willow Glen, Campbell, and the south end of San Jose.
Plan Design Meetings and draft reviews happen in person, by Zoom, or by phone. Whichever works best for you. The signing appointment is typically in person at the office because California law requires witnesses or notarization. Mobile notary services are arranged for clients with mobility constraints or out-of-state addresses.
Hours, parking notes, and the contact form are on the contact page.
San Jose FAQ
Common questions from San Jose families.
Plain-language answers on cost, timing, Prop 19, the Downtown courthouse, neighborhoods served, and Zoom vs in-person meetings. If something is missing, bring it to your meeting with Bob.
Don’t see your question?
Email or call the office, or bring it to your free Preliminary Planning Session.
Ask Bob directlyTrust petitions for San Jose residents are filed in the Probate Division of the Santa Clara County Superior Court. The Probate Division sits at the Downtown Superior Courthouse, 191 North First Street, San Jose, California 95113. Bob handles filings, hearings, and orders for clients across Santa Clara County.
You do not need a San Jose attorney specifically. You need a California-licensed estate planning attorney who knows Santa Clara County. Bob serves clients in San Jose, Campbell, Sunnyvale, Los Gatos, Cupertino, Santa Clara, Los Altos, Saratoga, and the rest of the county. Meetings happen at the Ross Avenue office in San Jose or by Zoom.
San Jose homeowners are among the hardest hit by Prop 19 because Silicon Valley home values are far higher than typical assessed values. A child who inherits a San Jose home only keeps the parent’s low Prop 13 tax basis if the child uses the home as a primary residence within one year, and only the first $1 million of value above the parent’s assessed value is excluded. Planning matters here more than almost anywhere else in California.
Most San Jose estate plans are signed within three to six weeks of the initial Plan Design Meeting. The schedule has four steps: the Plan Design Meeting itself, drafting and a draft review meeting, the signing appointment, and funding the trust by retitling assets. Bob walks you through each step.
A typical San Jose estate plan from the Law Offices of 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, asset structure, and the planning needs of your family. Bob will give you a written fee estimate at the initial Plan Design Meeting.
Yes. Bob has filed Heggstad petitions and trust modification petitions in Santa Clara County since the modern framework was established. He also files these petitions in counties throughout California when the trustee or the property is located outside Santa Clara County.
Yes. Many San Jose families meet with Bob by Zoom for the Plan Design Meeting and the draft review. The signing appointment is typically in person at the Ross Avenue office because California law requires witnesses or notarization. Out-of-state families and clients with mobility constraints often complete the entire engagement remotely with mobile notary services.
Next Step
Bring what you have. Bob will read it and tell you what your San Jose family needs.
The Plan Design Meeting is the first step. Bob reads the documents you bring, listens to what your family needs, and gives you a written plan recommendation and fee estimate.
Bob is one of less than 1% of California attorneys certified as a specialist by the State Bar.