Estate planning attorney in Saratoga.

Yes. The Law Offices of Robert P. Bergman is based at 3535 Ross Avenue in the Cambrian Park neighborhood of San Jose, roughly a 20 minute drive east of Saratoga via Highway 85 or Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road. Bob has drafted estate plans, handled trust administration, and filed Heggstad and trust modification petitions for Saratoga families for decades, with deep experience in the foothill real-estate values and multi-generational households common in town.

Trust petitions for Saratoga residents are filed in the Probate Division of the Santa Clara County Superior Court, located at the Downtown Superior Courthouse, 191 North First Street, San Jose, California 95113. Bob files Heggstad petitions and trust modification petitions at this courthouse on behalf of Saratoga families.

Saratoga is among the most Prop 19-exposed zip codes in California. Foothill parcels held since the 1970s carry deep Prop 13 basis, and current values often run well above $3 million. A child who inherits a Saratoga 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. The annual property-tax delta between a Prop 13 carry-over and a full reassessment is regularly five to six figures for Saratoga estates. Bob runs the Prop 19 numbers for every Saratoga client whose plan involves real property.

Saratoga estates often include hillside parcels, agricultural exemptions, or small vineyards. The trust may need provisions for parcel splits, easements, and the Williamson Act where it applies. Bob coordinates with your surveyor, your CPA, and the assessor’s office when the holdings include anything beyond a standard single-family lot.

Most Saratoga 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. Many Saratoga clients do the design and review meetings by Zoom and reserve a single in-person visit for the signing appointment.

A typical Saratoga 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: multi-million-dollar real estate, multi-generational planning, business or vineyard holdings, and related tax planning each add work. Bob gives you a written fee estimate at the initial Plan Design Meeting, which is always complimentary.

Yes. Many Saratoga clients meet with Bob by Zoom for the Plan Design Meeting and the draft review, then come to the Ross Avenue office for the signing appointment because California law requires witnesses or notarization. Mobile notary services are available for clients with mobility constraints or frequent travel schedules.