OC Trusts Lawyer
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Meet Our Attorneys​

Meet Our Living Trust, Estate Planning, and Probate Attorneys and Experts

At our firm, we are proud of our team of talented, client-oriented attorneys dedicated to providing the highest legal representation. Our attorneys specialize in living trust, estate planning, and probate law, ensuring our clients receive comprehensive legal services that meet their needs. We understand that estate planning and probate matters can be complex and overwhelming, so we have assembled a team of skilled attorneys well-versed in all aspects of these legal areas.

​Max M. Alavi

An experienced estate planning, probate and trust dispute litigation attorney in Orange county and Los Angeles county.

Max M. Alavi
Max Alavi

Mark Krause

Mr. Mark Krause is an associate attorney at Max Alavi, Attorney at Law, APC.

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Mark Krause

Angela Zeng

Ms. Angela Zeng is an associate attorney at Max Alavi, Attorney at Law, APC. Her focus is Probate, Trust Administration, and Litigation.

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Angela Zeng

Kathleen Hateley

Mrs. Kathleen Hateley is Of Counsel to Max Alavi, Attorney at Law, APC and her sole focus is litigation.

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Kathleen Hateley

Satisfied Client Stories

"MAX ALAVI MADE THE PROCESS OF CREATING A FAMILY TRUST VERY EASY. HE WAS ORGANIZED AND WAS ABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS I HAD QUICKLY. HE TREATED ME WITH RESPECT AND ASKED THOUGHTFUL QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT I WANTED. IF YOU NEED A FAMILY TRUST I RECOMMEND MAX ALAVI HIGHLY WITHOUT ANY RESERVATIONS."
DAVID W.
"VERY PROFESSIONAL SERVICE. MAX WAS WONDERFUL! HE ANSWERED ALL OF OUR RIDICULOUS QUESTIONS AS MY HUSBAND AND I HADN'T EVER THOUGHT OF HAVING A TRUST AND HAD NO IDEA WHAT WE WERE DOING. IT WAS A VERY SIMPLE PROCESS, AND HIS OFFICE WORKED WITH US TO SCHEDULE APPOINTMENTS WITH OUR CRAZY SCHEDULE. WITH OUR GROWING FAMILY IT'S GREAT TO KNOW THAT OUR CHILDREN WILL BE PROTECTED IF SOMETHING HAPPENED TO ME AND MY HUSBAND, AND WE CAN THANK MAX FOR THAT FEELING OF PROTECTION!"​
ERIN B.
I FOUND MAX TO BE PATIENT AND RESPONSIVE TO OUR REQUESTS. IT TOOK A WHILE TO GET EVERYTHING IN ORDER SINCE WE LIVE OF-OF-STATE AND COULD NOT SIGN EVERYTHING IN LESS TIME. I WILL RECOMMEND MR. ALAVI TO MY CO-WORKERS WHEN THE SUBJECT OF LIVING TRUSTS COME UP.
VICENTE
MAX CAME TO MY WORK TO GIVE A PRESENTATION ON HIS SERVICES. HE WAS VERY PROFESSIONAL AND TOOK AS LONG AS WE NEEDED TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS WE HAD ABOUT HIS SERVICES. HE PUT THINGS IN A VERY EASY TO UNDERSTAND LANGUAGE AND MADE SURE HE DID NOT TALK ABOVE HIS AUDIENCE. I HIRED MR. ALAVI TO EXECUTE A LIVING TRUST FOR MY WIFE AND I. THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PROCESS HE WAS VERY PATIENT AND MADE SURE WE UNDERSTOOD EVERYTHING WE WERE INCORPORATING INTO THE TRUST. DEALING WITH MAX WAS A BREEZE AND I WOULD RECOMMEND HIM TO ALL MY FRIENDS AND COWORKERS.
MARCEL

Mr. Max Alavi, licensed in 1992, is recognized as a Super Lawyer in the areas of estate planning, probate and trust and probate litigation. Mr. Alavi is passionate about his personal involvement with clients and making sure that their wishes for their family or those of the loved one who has passed be realized fully, quickly and efficiently.

Mr. Alavi started his law practice with the law firm of Odom, Schmerin and Thomason in Houston, Texas as a litigator. Upon moving to California, He has focused his practice on Trust and Probate litigation, Estate Planning and Probate, leading a capable and driven team of legal professionals who strive everyday to achieve extraordinary results.

Max Alavi

Max M Alavi

Mr. Mark Krause is an associate attorney at Max Alavi, Attorney at Law, APC. His primary focus is Trust Administration, Probate and Litigation concerning Probate and Trust Estates. Mr. Krause graduated Cum Laude from Pepperdine University School of Law in 2014. Mr. Krause’s practice style is zealous representation with a dedication to intimately understanding client goals. When Mr. Krause is not practicing law, he enjoys spending time with his wife and their young children.

Mark Krause

Ms. Angela Zeng is an associate attorney at Max Alavi, Attorney at Law, APC. Her focus is
Probate, Trust Administration, and Litigation concerning Probate and Trust Estates. Ms. Zeng
received her Juris Doctorate from Pepperdine University Caruso School of Law in 2023, and
graduated Cum Laude from University of California, Berkeley in 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts
double major degree in English and Sociology. During her legal education, Ms. Zeng developed
a strong interest in estate planning and earned one of the highest grades in Pepperdine Law’s specialized course on inheritance law, Advanced Wills and Trusts. In her spare time, Ms. Zeng enjoys spending time with her family and friends.

Angela Zeng

Mrs. Kathleen Hateley is Of Counsel to Max Alavi, Attorney at Law, APC and her sole focus is litigation. Mrs. Hateley has over 35 years of trial experience and is licensed to practice law in all state courts for the State of California as well as all U.S. District Courts for the Southern, Central and Northern districts of California. Mrs. Hateley started her legal career at a law firm in downtown Los Angeles where she was trained in litigation strategy. During the course of her practice, she has gained experience as a trial attorney, mentor and mediator. Mrs. Hateley served as Of Counsel to Max Alavi, Attorney at Law, APC from 2010 to 2017. From 2017 to 2022 she served as Chief Legal Officer to two corporations located in Los Angeles, and most recently, as West Coast Regional Counsel to a global engineering firm. We are thrilled to have her back with us to train our associates and assist our clients. Mrs. Hateley serves as Of Counsel with Max Alavi, Attorney at Law, APC where she is involved in litigation related to trustee representation in contested trust matters, breach of fiduciary duties, fraud and elder abuse causes of action. Mrs. Hateley received her Juris Doctorate degree in law from the McGeorge School of Law, University of the Pacific in 1987 with honors; and a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from UCLA in 1984. *According to California Rule of Professional Conduct 1-400(E)(8), an attorney is “Of Counsel” if there is a “close, personal, continuous and regular relationship” with a named firm. The “Of Counsel” can maintain a separate source of work, so long as conflicts and other ethical implications do not arise.

Kathleen Hateley