San Jose - Elder Law Attorney - San Jose estate planning attorney with 40+ years and 700+ families protected. Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law.

Estate Planning for Unmarried Couples in San Jose: The 2026 Guide to Protecting Your Partner

In the eyes of California law, you and your partner are essentially legal strangers, no matter how many years you’ve shared a home in Willow Glen or…

Could a single Silicon Valley lawsuit or a sudden tax shift turn your hard-earned equity into a liability overnight? For many local professionals,…

Did you know that the average probate case in San Jose now takes between 9 and 18 months to reach a final resolution? It’s a sobering statistic that…

If you think a comprehensive estate plan is expensive, consider that the statutory probate fees for a $1,000,000 estate in California are…

Did you know that in Santa Clara County, a $1 million home can trigger over $46,000 in mandatory fees before your family sees a single cent?…

If you didn’t make it home tonight, would a stranger in a San Jose courtroom be the one to decide who raises your child? It’s a heavy question that…

What if your family had to pay a $435 filing fee just to ask a judge for permission to access your bank account to pay your mortgage? In Santa Clara…

If you own a single family home in San Jose, you’ve likely already crossed the threshold where the state of California gets a say in your…

Waiting until a loved one loses the ability to manage their affairs could cost your family a $435 filing fee and tie you up in Santa Clara County…

April 30, 2026 by Robert P. Bergman

The tax-saving strategy you think is protecting your Silicon Valley home might actually be a legal trap that strips away your right to manage it….