At the Law Offices of Robert P. Bergman, we help Menlo Park residents create clear, durable estate plans tailored to their family circumstances and California law. Estate planning is about protecting your assets, naming decision-makers for health and finances, and providing for loved ones after you are gone. Our approach emphasizes practical documents such as revocable living trusts, last wills, powers of attorney, and health care directives, together with trust funding and probate avoidance where appropriate. We explain your options in plain language and prioritize a plan that reflects your wishes and reduces future legal complexity for your family.
Choosing thoughtful estate planning now can prevent confusion and expense later for your heirs and fiduciaries. We work with clients to identify assets, beneficiaries, and potential tax or creditor considerations, then draft documents like revocable living trusts, pour-over wills, HIPAA authorizations, and guardianship nominations for minors. Our goal is to deliver an estate plan that addresses incapacity, access to medical information, and the orderly transfer of property. We help Menlo Park families put these measures in place so that important decisions are made according to their preferences, not by default court processes.
Estate planning provides clarity and control over how property and personal decisions will be handled if you become incapacitated or pass away. A well-crafted plan can reduce the likelihood of probate, protect privacy, and make sure minors or family members with special needs are cared for through tailored documents such as special needs trusts or guardianship nominations. Additionally, planning can preserve retirement assets and create designated management for health care decisions with advance health care directives and HIPAA authorization. For small business owners, retirement plan trusts and business succession measures help ensure continuity and protect value.
The Law Offices of Robert P. Bergman serves San Jose and Menlo Park area clients with focused estate planning services that emphasize clarity, responsiveness, and practical results. Our team works directly with clients to gather the necessary financial information, discuss family dynamics, and evaluate the documents that best meet their goals. Cases range from straightforward wills to complex trust arrangements such as irrevocable life insurance trusts and retirement plan trusts. We are committed to helping clients build plans that reduce uncertainty, manage potential tax exposure, and ensure that their intentions are honored over time.
Estate planning encompasses a set of legal documents and steps that determine how your assets will be managed and distributed, who will make decisions if you cannot, and how minor children or dependents will be cared for. Common documents include revocable living trusts to avoid probate, pour-over wills to capture remaining assets, and powers of attorney to name financial decision-makers. Advance health care directives and HIPAA authorizations ensure medical wishes are known and accessible. Each document plays a role in preserving control and creating a smoother transition for family members when life-altering events occur.
Different planning tools serve different needs based on asset types, family structure, and long-term objectives. For example, irrevocable life insurance trusts can help keep life insurance proceeds out of an estate, while special needs trusts preserve benefits for a loved one with disabilities. Trust funding and asset assignments are practical steps that follow document drafting to ensure the plan works as intended. Our firm guides clients through these choices and helps implement the documents, such as certification of trust and general assignment forms, that preserve privacy and reduce administrative burdens for survivors.
Core estate planning documents include the revocable living trust, which holds assets to avoid probate and allow flexible management during life; a last will and testament, which addresses any assets not transferred into a trust and nomination of guardians for children; financial powers of attorney to appoint someone to manage financial affairs if you cannot; and advance health care directives that record medical preferences and appoint a health care agent. Additional instruments such as HIPAA authorizations and certification of trust streamline communications with institutions and confirm trustees’ authority without disclosing private trust terms.
An effective estate plan combines clear documents with practical follow-through. Initial steps include client interviews to collect asset inventories and discuss beneficiaries, followed by drafting documents tailored to those needs. Funding trusts, assigning assets to trust ownership, and preparing ancillary documents like HIPAA authorizations and pour-over wills are important to ensure the plan functions correctly. We also consider tax planning, creditor concerns, and special arrangements such as pet trusts or Heggstad and trust modification petitions when family circumstances change. Ongoing review and updates keep the plan aligned with life events and legal developments.
Understanding the terminology used in estate planning helps clients make informed choices. Familiar terms include trust, trustee, beneficiary, pour-over will, power of attorney, and advance health care directive. Other terms that commonly arise are irrevocable life insurance trust, certification of trust, special needs trust, and Heggstad petition. Each term corresponds to a legal concept or document that affects how assets are owned, managed, and distributed. We explain these concepts in everyday language to help clients understand how the pieces of a plan fit together and what actions are needed to put a plan into effect.
A revocable living trust is a legal arrangement where a person transfers ownership of assets into a trust during life, retains the ability to change or revoke the trust, and names successor trustees and beneficiaries to manage and receive assets after death. This tool often avoids probate, preserves privacy, and allows for continuous management if incapacity occurs. Funding the trust means retitling assets into the trust name or assigning them via documents such as a general assignment of assets to trust. The trust can be tailored with provisions for guardianship of minors and distributions to achieve specific family goals.
A last will and testament is a document that specifies how any assets not already held in a trust will be distributed at death, and it allows the testator to nominate an executor to administer the estate and guardians for minor children. Wills are submitted to probate court to transfer title to heirs unless assets are already moved to a trust or other nonprobate vehicle. A pour-over will is commonly used in tandem with a revocable trust to transfer remaining assets into the trust upon death, ensuring all property is eventually governed by the trust terms.
A financial power of attorney is a document that appoints an agent to manage financial and legal affairs if the principal becomes temporarily or permanently unable to act. The agent can pay bills, handle bank transactions, and make business decisions under the authority granted by the document. Careful drafting clarifies the scope of authority and the circumstances under which the power becomes effective. A separate advance health care directive and HIPAA authorization typically designate a health care agent and permit access to medical records while ensuring that medical preferences are known and followed.
A special needs trust is a legal vehicle designed to hold assets for the benefit of a person with disabilities while preserving eligibility for public benefits such as Medi-Cal or Social Security Income. The trust provides discretionary distributions for supplemental needs like education, therapies, or personal items that public benefits do not cover. Proper drafting ensures the trust complements government benefits rather than disqualifies them, and trustees must follow guidelines to avoid jeopardizing benefits. These trusts can provide long-term care and support tailored to the beneficiary’s needs.
Estate planning choices range from limited documents that address narrow needs to comprehensive plans that cover many contingencies. Limited approaches may include a simple will and powers of attorney and can be appropriate for individuals with modest assets or straightforward family situations. In contrast, comprehensive plans include trusts, funding, beneficiary designations, and contingency planning for special circumstances. The right option depends on asset complexity, family dynamics, potential incapacity concerns, and goals for privacy and probate avoidance. We help clients weigh the trade-offs and choose a plan aligned with their priorities and budget.
A limited approach may suit individuals whose estate consists primarily of a single residence or modest retirement accounts, where the administrative burden of a trust may not be justified. If beneficiaries are immediate family members and relationships are uncomplicated, a will combined with financial and health care powers of attorney can provide the necessary protections. Such plans are faster and less expensive to prepare and can be updated as circumstances change. Even in limited plans, it remains important to review beneficiary designations and ensure continuity in decision-making for incapacity.
A limited plan can also be a practical interim solution for younger adults or those expecting significant life changes. For example, someone awaiting a future business sale or inheritance might adopt a streamlined will and powers of attorney now and later expand the plan when the estate becomes more complex. This approach provides immediate protections against incapacity and clarifies decisions for medical care while allowing flexibility to build a more comprehensive plan when circumstances warrant. Periodic review ensures the plan evolves with the client’s situation.
Comprehensive estate planning is often recommended when assets include multiple properties, business interests, retirement accounts, or assets with beneficiary designations that must be coordinated to avoid unintended tax consequences and probate. Trust-based plans help consolidate management, reduce probate exposure, and preserve privacy for the family. Comprehensive documents also address succession for business owners and coordinate retirement plan trusts with beneficiary rules. Implementing a full plan can minimize administrative delays and potential costs that beneficiaries might encounter during probate proceedings in California.
Families with blended relationships, minor children, dependents with disabilities, or particular legacy goals often benefit from comprehensive planning. Instruments like special needs trusts, irrevocable life insurance trusts, and detailed trust distribution provisions allow careful control over how assets support beneficiaries while preserving eligibility for public benefits. Comprehensive plans also provide mechanisms for charitable giving, education funding, and staged distributions to protect heirs from sudden windfalls. These tailored solutions reduce family disputes by documenting intentions and defining trustee responsibilities and distribution standards in advance.
A comprehensive estate plan provides continuity of management if you become incapacitated, often avoids the delays and costs associated with probate, and preserves privacy by keeping disposition details out of public court records. It allows precise control over how assets are distributed, addresses tax and creditor concerns, and ensures that children or dependents receive appropriate care through guardianship nominations or trusts. For many clients, the peace of mind from knowing these matters are arranged and documented outweighs the upfront effort, and it reduces disputes among heirs by clarifying intent.
Comprehensive planning also supports business continuity and retirement planning by coordinating beneficiary designations, retirement plan trusts, and business succession documents. Special provisions such as pour-over wills and certification of trust make administrative steps easier for trustees and institutions. Additionally, measures like HIPAA authorizations and advance health care directives streamline communication with medical providers and ensure that medical preferences are documented. Overall, a cohesive plan helps families navigate transitions more smoothly and allows fiduciaries to act efficiently and confidently on behalf of the client.
Avoiding probate is a primary reason many clients adopt trust-based planning. Probate can be time-consuming and public, potentially exposing family matters and asset details to court records. A revocable living trust can transfer assets outside probate, preserving privacy and often allowing a quicker distribution to beneficiaries under the trust’s terms. Trustees can manage assets without court supervision, and the trust structure helps maintain continuity when incapacity occurs. The result is a smoother transition and less public administrative oversight following a client’s death or incapacity.
One of the most important advantages of a comprehensive plan is clear arrangements for incapacity. Advance health care directives and HIPAA authorizations name a health care agent to make medical decisions and permit providers to share medical information. Financial powers of attorney allow someone trusted to manage finances if you cannot. These documents prevent confusion during emergencies and ensure that your preferences are known and followed. Together with a funded trust, they spare families from court-appointed conservatorships and provide practical continuity in both medical and financial matters.
Begin your planning process by compiling a thorough asset inventory, including real estate, bank accounts, retirement plans, life insurance, business interests, and digital assets. Knowing where assets are titled and who is listed as beneficiary helps shape the documents you will need and reveals whether trust funding is necessary. This inventory also helps uncover assets that may unintentionally pass through probate. Sharing complete and organized information speeds the drafting process, reduces errors, and ensures your plan covers everything important to your family’s financial security and future.
An estate plan is only effective if documents are up to date and available when needed. Store originals or certified copies in a safe place and ensure key fiduciaries know how to access them. Schedule periodic reviews, especially after major life events or changes in asset ownership, and update documents to reflect changes in law or personal circumstances. Make sure successors, trustees, and agents have essential contact information and clear instructions, so they are prepared to act quickly and confidently if an emergency arises.
Residents often seek estate planning to protect family privacy, reduce probate delays and costs, and ensure that decisions about medical care and finances align with their values. Families with young children want guardians appointed and trusts established to manage inheritance, while those with dependents who receive public benefits seek plans that preserve eligibility. Business owners require succession planning to protect company value and continuity. Thoughtful planning also addresses tax and creditor exposure, and helps clients leave a charitable or familial legacy in an orderly, documented way.
Other motivations include planning for incapacity, simplifying administration for survivors, and avoiding court involvement. Estate planning clarifies who will manage finances and health care if you cannot act and who will distribute assets upon your death. In communities like Menlo Park, where property values and retirement assets can be significant, a comprehensive approach helps coordinate accounts, beneficiary designations, and trust funding to achieve intended outcomes. Regular reviews ensure plans remain current with life changes and evolving legal frameworks, providing long-term control and peace of mind.
Estate planning becomes important at different stages of life: when you acquire significant assets, start a family, become a caregiver, or approach retirement. It is also essential after marriage or divorce, after the birth of a child, or when you become a business owner. Those with family members who have disabilities or special financial needs need tailored trusts to preserve benefits, and owners of multiple properties benefit from trust arrangements to avoid probate. Each circumstance requires specific documents and thoughtful coordination to ensure your intentions are carried out effectively.
Young families commonly prioritize naming guardians and setting up trusts to provide for minor children’s care and financial needs. Guardianship nominations in a will identify who will raise children if both parents are unable to do so, while trusts provide a way to manage assets for the children’s benefit and control how funds are used for education, health, and support. Establishing these measures now reduces uncertainty and legal hurdles later, and ensures that children are cared for by people you trust and that resources are available to support them.
As people approach retirement or face health changes, planning for incapacity becomes a high priority. Instruments such as advance health care directives and powers of attorney appoint decision-makers and document medical preferences, while revocable trusts help manage assets without court involvement. This planning avoids delays and uncertainty for family members making critical decisions. It also provides a clear framework for long-term care preferences and financial management, allowing families to focus on care and quality of life rather than navigating legal processes under stress.
Owners of businesses, multiple properties, or significant retirement accounts often need comprehensive plans to coordinate succession and tax considerations. Trust-based arrangements, retirement plan trusts, and irrevocable life insurance trusts can protect value and provide liquidity for estate obligations. Business succession planning documents help ensure a smooth transition or sale process and define management roles. These measures reduce the likelihood of disputes and financial disruption, helping to maintain business continuity and provide clarity for family members and coworkers who will be affected by the transition.
We provide Menlo Park residents with practical estate planning support tailored to local needs, from funding revocable living trusts to drafting advance health care directives and financial powers of attorney. Our services include preparation of pour-over wills, certification of trust, and documents for special circumstances such as special needs trusts and irrevocable life insurance trusts. We also assist with petitions and trust modifications when family circumstances or laws change. Our focus is on delivering plans that protect families and preserve assets while minimizing administrative burdens for fiduciaries.
Clients select our firm for clear communication, careful drafting, and attention to practical implementation steps like trust funding and document execution. We emphasize working closely with clients to understand family dynamics and financial arrangements, offering straightforward explanations of how different documents work together to meet their objectives. Our goal is to provide plans that function effectively when needed and to ensure fiduciaries have the information and documentation required to act promptly on the client’s behalf without unnecessary court involvement.
We assist with a wide range of estate planning tasks including preparation of revocable living trusts, pour-over wills, financial powers of attorney, advance health care directives, HIPAA authorizations, and guardianship nominations. For clients with unique needs, we prepare specialized arrangements such as special needs trusts and retirement plan trusts to address benefit preservation and tax coordination. We also guide clients through the steps after drafting, such as funding trusts and aligning beneficiary forms to ensure the plan operates as intended across institutions and accounts.
Our clients appreciate a practical, client-focused approach that anticipates common post-death or incapacity issues and seeks to minimize stress for surviving family members. We provide clear instructions and follow-up support so fiduciaries understand their duties and how to access necessary documents. Whether you need a straightforward will or a comprehensive trust-based plan with support documents and petitions, we work to produce durable, understandable plans that reflect your priorities and help preserve family relationships through careful planning.
Our process begins with a detailed consultation to identify assets, family relationships, and planning goals. We then recommend appropriate documents and explain the benefits and tradeoffs of each option. After you approve a plan, we draft the documents for review and make revisions to reflect your wishes. Execution is handled with attention to California formalities to ensure enforceability, and we provide guidance on funding trusts, coordinating beneficiaries, and storing originals. Follow-up reviews are recommended to keep the plan current as circumstances and laws evolve.
The initial step involves gathering a comprehensive picture of your assets, accounts, family structure, and long-term objectives. We ask about real estate, bank and investment accounts, retirement plans, life insurance, business interests, and any special needs among beneficiaries. This information informs whether trusts, wills, or other documents are most appropriate. We also discuss incapacity planning, guardianship needs for minors, and legacy goals. Clear communication during this phase helps us draft documents that align with your intentions and reduce the need for costly revisions later.
We assist clients in compiling an organized inventory of assets and reviewing beneficiary designations to ensure coordination with an overall estate plan. This includes verifying how accounts are titled and whether existing designations match the intended distribution plan. Identifying assets that should be transferred into a trust is critical to avoid probate. We also discuss contingencies and provide checklists that help clients locate documents and contacts so the plan can be implemented smoothly when needed.
During the initial consultation we explore family goals such as providing for children, protecting a dependent with disabilities, or planning for business succession. Understanding these objectives shapes the structure of trusts, distribution timelines, and trustee responsibilities. We also consider potential conflicts and provide strategies for minimizing disputes, such as clear distribution instructions and trustee selection criteria. This collaborative conversation ensures that the legal documents we prepare reflect both practical needs and the client’s personal values.
After goals and asset information are clear, we draft the necessary estate planning documents, including revocable living trusts, pour-over wills, powers of attorney, advance health care directives, and any specialized trusts such as special needs or irrevocable life insurance trusts. Drafts are provided for review, and we walk clients through each provision to confirm it reflects their intentions. Revisions are made to address client feedback, and final versions are prepared for signing with appropriate witnesses and notarization to meet California legal requirements.
We encourage clients to review drafts carefully and ask questions about the practical implications of specific provisions. During the revision stage, we refine language to reflect distribution timing, trustee powers, and instructions for incapacity. Clear explanations help clients understand how clauses will operate in real situations. Once the client approves the content, we schedule an execution meeting and provide instructions about signing formalities and the role of witnesses and notaries to ensure the documents are legally effective.
At execution, clients sign final documents in the presence of required witnesses and a notary public when applicable. We provide guidance on where to store originals and how to make copies available to trustees, agents, and family members. We also advise on recording deeds or re-titling accounts when necessary to fund trusts. Keeping a clear plan for custody of originals and providing successors with access instructions reduces delays and confusion when documents must be used in urgent circumstances.
Implementation includes funding trusts by transferring titles or using general assignments, updating beneficiary designations, and providing fiduciaries with access information and copies of key documents. We recommend periodic reviews after major life events, such as births, deaths, marriages, divorces, or significant changes in asset values. We also assist with trust modifications or petitions when changes in circumstances require formal adjustments. Ongoing attention ensures that the estate plan continues to reflect your wishes and remains effective under current law.
Funding a trust is an essential step to ensure assets are actually governed by the trust terms. This process may include re-titling real estate, transferring bank and investment accounts into the trust, and executing general assignments for certain assets. We provide checklists and hands-on assistance to coordinate with financial institutions and ensure smooth transfer. Proper funding reduces the need for probate and helps trustees manage assets seamlessly in the event of incapacity or death.
We advise clients to review their estate plans regularly and offer support for trust administration after a client’s passing or incapacity. When changes in family circumstances or law occur, petitions for trust modification or Heggstad petitions may be necessary to reflect the current situation. Our firm can assist trustees in performing their duties, preparing required documents, and navigating court processes if disputes arise. Ongoing engagement helps ensure the plan remains aligned with client goals over time.
A last will and testament is a court-filed document that directs how assets not already transferred by other means should be distributed after death and allows for the nomination of guardians for minor children. Wills generally must go through probate, a public court process that supervises the distribution of estate property, which can take time and incur fees. In contrast, a revocable living trust is created during your lifetime to hold title to assets, and those assets can often pass to beneficiaries without probate, preserving privacy and potentially speeding the transfer process. Revocable living trusts also provide continuity if you become incapacitated because a successor trustee can step in to manage trust assets without court involvement. However, creating a trust alone is not enough; assets must be transferred into the trust to achieve the probate avoidance benefit. Both tools serve important roles depending on a client’s needs, and many plans use both a trust and a pour-over will to capture any assets not moved into the trust during life.
Yes, funding a trust is a necessary follow-up after drafting a revocable living trust because the trust only controls assets that are properly titled in its name or assigned to it. Funding typically involves re-titling real estate, changing titles on bank and investment accounts, and naming the trust as owner or beneficiary where appropriate. Without funding, assets may still be subject to probate and the trust’s provisions will not apply to those assets. We provide clients with specific checklists and assistance to coordinate transfers and beneficiary updates with financial institutions. Some assets, like retirement accounts, require beneficiary designation coordination rather than transfer, and in such cases retirement plan trusts may be recommended to preserve tax treatment. Proper implementation ensures the trust functions as intended.
A financial power of attorney appoints an agent to manage your financial and legal affairs if you are unable to do so, while an advance health care directive designates a health care agent to make medical decisions and records your treatment preferences. In California, these documents must be executed according to formalities to be effective, and a HIPAA authorization is often used alongside them so medical providers can disclose necessary information to your agent. These instruments prevent the need for court-appointed conservatorships and provide clear authority for decision-makers. Careful drafting clarifies the scope of authority and when powers become effective, whether immediately or upon incapacity. We help clients select appropriate agents and tailor the language to reflect limitations or special instructions. Regular review ensures these documents remain up to date with changing relationships and health circumstances.
Yes, a properly drafted special needs trust can hold assets for a beneficiary with disabilities while preserving eligibility for public benefits such as Medi-Cal or Supplemental Security Income. These trusts provide discretionary distributions for supplemental needs that public programs do not cover, such as therapies, education, or personal items, without counting those assets as the beneficiary’s resources. The trustee must carefully manage distributions to avoid disqualifying the beneficiary from means-tested programs. Establishing a special needs trust requires precise language and understanding of benefit rules. We work with clients to design trusts that complement public benefits, name suitable trustees, and establish procedures for distributions that enhance the beneficiary’s quality of life while safeguarding essential public support.
Parents with young children should have documents in place that name guardians and set up trusts to manage assets for minor children. A will with guardianship nominations clarifies who should raise children if both parents are unable to do so, while trusts can hold property for the children’s benefit until a chosen age or milestone. These measures ensure that children are cared for by people you trust and that funds are available for their upbringing, education, and health needs. Additionally, parents should execute financial powers of attorney and advance health care directives to designate who will make decisions if parents are temporarily incapacitated. Keeping these documents current and communicating your choices to family members reduces uncertainty and helps ensure that arrangements will be followed when needed.
It is prudent to review your estate plan at least every few years and after any significant life event, such as marriage, divorce, the birth of a child, death of a beneficiary, or substantial changes in asset values. Changes in tax laws or in the law governing trusts and estates can also prompt a review. Regular reviews ensure that beneficiary designations, trustee or agent nominations, and distribution provisions remain aligned with your current wishes and financial picture. We recommend scheduling a review when major transactions occur, such as selling or buying real estate, receiving an inheritance, or starting or selling a business. These reviews help identify items that should be funded into trusts, updated beneficiaries, or revised distribution instructions to reflect current goals.
A pour-over will is a will that directs any assets that were not transferred to a trust during life to be moved into the trust at death. It acts as a safety net to ensure that assets inadvertently left out of the trust are still governed by the trust’s terms after probate. While a pour-over will still goes through probate for those particular assets, it helps consolidate distributions under the trust and provides direction for how residual property should be handled. Clients often use a pour-over will alongside a revocable living trust to ensure the trust ultimately controls all assets. It is important to aim for comprehensive funding of the trust during life to minimize reliance on probate and to consult about beneficiary designations and account titling to reduce the need for probate administration.
Avoiding probate in California commonly involves transferring ownership of assets into a revocable living trust, using beneficiary designations on retirement and life insurance policies, and holding property jointly where appropriate. Trust-based planning is an effective tool because assets owned by the trust at death generally pass outside probate under the trust terms, preserving privacy and often reducing delays. Careful coordination of account titling and beneficiary forms is essential to achieve this outcome. Other methods to reduce probate include using transfer-on-death designations for some accounts and real property when available, and small estate procedures for modest estates. We help clients implement the combination of tools appropriate to their situation and verify that transfers are properly completed to avoid unintended probate exposure.
Business owners should include succession planning, buy-sell arrangements, and coordination of business ownership with estate planning documents. Trusts and buy-sell agreements can provide for orderly transition of ownership and management, and retirement plan trusts may be used to handle plan distributions in a way that supports the business and beneficiaries. Aligning corporate documents and ownership interests with estate planning reduces the risk of business disruption after an owner’s incapacity or death. It is also important to consider liquidity needs to pay estate obligations, especially when significant value is tied up in a closely held business. Life insurance trusts and other funding mechanisms can provide cash to pay taxes or buy out heirs, helping ensure the business can continue operating without forced sales or distress.
Choosing a trustee or agent involves considering trustworthiness, availability, financial judgment, and willingness to serve. Many clients name a trusted family member or friend as a primary trustee and a professional or co-trustee as a backup to provide administrative support. The right person should be able to manage responsibilities, communicate with beneficiaries, and make decisions aligned with the trust’s instructions. Discussing the role with potential appointees in advance ensures they understand the duties and accept the responsibility. When complex assets, business interests, or family dynamics exist, naming a professional fiduciary or corporate trustee, or pairing a family member with professional guidance, can provide stability and objective administration. Clear successor nominations and instructions help avoid disputes and ensure the trustee can act efficiently on behalf of beneficiaries.
Criminal Defense
Homicide Defense
Manslaughter
Assault and Battery
Assault with a Deadly Weapon
Battery Causing Great Bodily Injury
Domestic Violence
Domestic Violence Protection Orders
Domestic Violence Restraining Order
Arson Defense
Weapons Charges
Illegal Firearm Possessions
Civil Harassment
Civil Harassment Restraining Orders
School Violence Restraining Orders
Violent Crimes Defense
Estate Planning Practice Areas