About the Attorney
Robert P. Bergman.
Estate planning attorney in San Jose, California. Practicing since 1980.
Bob is one of roughly 1% of California attorneys certified by the State Bar as a specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law. He has practiced in Santa Clara County since 1980, drafts every plan personally, and files trust petitions in counties throughout California. He hosts the “Plan Your Estate Radio” show and is the author of the “California Consumer Guide to Wills, Living Trusts, and Estate Planning.”
Snapshot
Four facts about Bob.
State Bar Board Certified
Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law
Practicing since
1980 in Santa Clara County
Radio Show Host
“Plan Your Estate Radio” on 1220 AM KDOW
Consumer Guide
California Consumer Guide to Wills, Living Trusts, and Estate Planning
The 46-Year Story
How Bob got here.
A specialty practice that other attorneys refer their clients to for their hardest trust petitions.
Bob earned his law degree at Santa Clara University School of Law and was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1980. He opened his own practice in San Jose that same year and has worked from Santa Clara County ever since.
Bob focused on estate planning and trusts early in his career. Over the years he found that the cases that most rewarded specialization were the ones nobody else wanted to take — the trust petitions where the evidence was thin, the funding had been incomplete, or the original drafter was no longer alive to explain their choices. He built a practice around those cases.
The California State Bar certified Bob as a specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law in the early years of that program. He has held the certification ever since, recertifying every five years as required. Roughly 1% of California attorneys hold the credential.
In the decades that followed, the field shifted underneath him several times. Federal estate tax thresholds moved up and down with each Congress. California voters passed Proposition 13 in 1978, then Proposition 58 in 1986, then Proposition 19 in 2020, each one rewriting how California families pass real property to their children. The Uniform Trust Decanting Act took effect in 2018 and gave trustees a new tool. The Medi-Cal asset test came back in 2026. Bob has watched every one of these changes from inside the work, and his practice reflects the long view that comes from staying in one place that long.
Today, other attorneys refer their hardest trust petition cases to Bob. Families come to him because they want their plan drafted by the attorney they hired, not by a template factory or a paralegal they will never meet. He is the kind of estate planning attorney other estate planning attorneys turn to.
The Credential
What it means to be a Certified Specialist.
Held by roughly 1% of California attorneys. Recognized by California courts and by other attorneys. The four requirements behind it.
Demonstrated experience
Substantial documented experience in estate planning, trust, and probate matters.
Written examination
A subject-matter exam set by the Board of Legal Specialization.
Peer review
Reviews from other attorneys and judges who have worked with the applicant.
Continuing education
Ongoing CLE in the specialty. Recertification required every five years.
You can verify the credential on the State Bar of California website (opens in a new window) by searching for Robert P. Bergman.
Working With Bob
How Bob works with families.
Four things every client gets — the attorney they hired drafting their plan, a real first meeting, funding follow-through, and a choice of in-person or Zoom.
Bob drafts every plan himself.
No paralegal hand-off. No template factory. The same attorney who reads your file at the Plan Design Meeting writes all of the legal documents.
Plan Design Meeting first.
A 60–90 minute conversation. Bob gives you a written plan recommendation and a fixed fee estimate at the end. No obligation to move forward.
Funding is part of the engagement.
A trust that isn't funded doesn't avoid probate. Bob walks every client through retitling and beneficiary updates. Catching gaps early prevents Heggstad petitions later.
Ross Avenue, Zoom, or both.
Office at 3535 Ross Ave, Suite 200, Cambrian Park. Signing in person (California law requires witnesses or notary). Plan Design Meetings and draft reviews in person or by Zoom.
Beyond the Practice
Where Bob teaches outside the office.
A consumer guide, a long-running radio show, and a working blog — same principle as the practice: a California attorney explaining the law in plain English.
California Consumer Guide to Wills, Living Trusts, and Estate Planning
Bob's plain-language guide to how a California plan actually works — trust funding, the §16061.7 notice, special needs planning, Prop 19. Free to download.
Download the guide“Plan Your Estate Radio”
A long-running California estate planning program on 1220 AM KDOW. Episodes organized by topic and available on demand.
Listen to the showArticles when California law changes
The 2026 Medi-Cal asset limit reinstatement is the most recent example. Bob writes when something material shifts for existing plans.
Read the blogAffiliations
Bar memberships and professional standing.
Bob has been a California-licensed attorney since 1980, in good standing the entire time, with the State Bar’s specialty certification in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law held continuously.
Verify
Look up Bob’s credentials on calbar.ca.gov (opens in a new window) by searching for Robert P. Bergman.
State Bar of California Certified Specialist
Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law. Held continuously, recertified every five years.
State Bar of California
Member in good standing since 1980.
Santa Clara County Bar Association
Member.
California Lawyers Association, Trusts & Estates Section
Member. Speaks regularly at continuing legal education programs on California trust petition practice.
Frequently Asked
Common questions about Bob.
Short, plain-language answers to the questions families ask about Bob most often. If something is missing, bring it to your free Preliminary Planning Session.
Don’t see your question?
Email or call the office, or bring it to your free Preliminary Planning Session.
Ask Bob directlyRobert P. Bergman is an estate planning attorney in San Jose, California. He has practiced in Santa Clara County since 1980 and is one of roughly 1% of California attorneys certified by the State Bar as a specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law. He drafts every plan personally, hosts “Plan Your Estate Radio,” and files trust petitions in counties throughout California.
A California State Bar Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law is an attorney certified by the State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization, after demonstrating significant experience in the field, passing a written examination, completing peer review, and maintaining ongoing education in the specialty. Roughly 1% of California attorneys hold the certification. Recertification is required every five years. The credential is recognized by California courts and other attorneys as a marker of demonstrated expertise.
Since 1980. That is 46 years of estate planning practice in Santa Clara County, including the years before California revocable living trusts became the standard planning vehicle they are today. Bob has watched the field change firsthand, from federal estate tax law overhauls to California Proposition 19, to the Uniform Trust Decanting Act, to the Medi-Cal asset rules.
Bob drafts every plan himself. The trust, the pour-over will, the powers of attorney, and the advance health care directive all come from his desk, not a paralegal or a junior associate. He also leads every Plan Design Meeting and every signing appointment. The same attorney named on the door handles every step of the engagement.
Estate planning for individuals, couples, and families (including special needs trusts and California Proposition 19 planning), trust administration after a settlor dies, Heggstad petitions to confirm trust ownership of assets, and irrevocable trust modification petitions under California Probate Code Sections 15403, 15404, and 15409. Other attorneys often refer the more difficult trust petition cases to Bob.
“Plan Your Estate Radio” is the show Bob hosts on California estate planning topics. Episodes are organized by topic on the radio show page. Visitors who want a quick orientation to revocable trusts, special needs planning, or trust petitions usually find a relevant episode within the first few minutes of browsing the archive.
For full estate planning engagements, Bob primarily serves the eight cities of Santa Clara County. For trust petitions and California real estate matters, he serves families anywhere in California and out of state. Plan Design Meetings happen by Zoom for clients outside the immediate area, document signing happens by mobile notary or e-signature where appropriate, and Bob attends California court hearings on his clients’ behalf.
For an estate planning meeting, bring a list of your assets and approximate values, the names and birthdays of your spouse and children, the names of people you would consider as trustees and guardians, and any existing wills, trusts, or beneficiary designations. For a trust petition matter, bring the trust, the schedule of assets, and any deeds or account statements relevant to the asset in question. Bob reads everything before the meeting starts.
Want to meet Bob?
Bring the documents you have.
The first meeting is the Plan Design Meeting. Bob reads what you bring, listens to your situation, and gives you a written plan recommendation and a fee estimate. No obligation to move forward.
Bob is one of less than 1% of California attorneys certified as a specialist by the State Bar.