Update: I have received a very courteous call from Lauren Rios after posting my review; she…read moreexplained their intake process and I suggested it would have been nice to hear something along the lines of "if your case can wait till the month of _________, we'd be happy to consider it at the time." Bumping my review by one star. After reading glorious reviews, Lauren Rios was my number one choice and the first attorney I contacted. The receptionist took down my personal details only to inform me right away that they are not accepting new clients at this time. I wasn't asked for any details of my situation to determine whether the firm has the expertise or the bandwidth to take on my case, now or in the future. This left me wondering whether my Jewish-sounding last name made them turn me away without any further consideration. After all, it would be enough to ask for a first name only in order to carry on a conversation.

Lauren is great to work with - friendly, professional, knowledgeable, organized and communicative…read more She did an excellent job shepherding us through the very detailed process of estate planning. We highly recommend her.

I retained Biddle Law for a complex estate litigation matter. Thanks to Alex Biddle's outstanding…read morelegal work, we fully prevailed. If you have a probate litigation or estate matter, or need a will crafted or trust created, you simply can't do better than Biddle Law. They are engaged, attentive, and friendly. Most importantly - they know the law!

If I could give Alex a zillion, a billion, a trillion stars I would…read more Trusts and will are never easy or pleasant but Alex was so knowledgeable and cool that it made the experience stress free and painless. Before I went to Alex I must have considered and consulted 5 other lawyers who gave me the run around or wouldn't fight for our trust since it was a revision. Alex took the time and effort to answer my questions and meet with me time and again to get it done perfectly. He can be reached in person or via email and is just 100% legitimate and awesome. I can't thank him enough for all his help in helping us with the trust and will we had to amend. Muchas gracias!! Merci beaucoup!! I can't say it in enough languages. Thanks Alex!

Marisa and her team provide a great customer experience. They were very communicative,…read moreknowledgeable, prompt and we were able to complete everything in just a few weeks. Marisa really took time to listen to what was important to me, asked questions and walked through all documents to make sure I understood them. I would highly recommend Marisa and her team for anyone needing a comprehensive estate planning solution.

Marisa is an amazing estate attorney. I first used her services to review my mother's estate plan…read morethat another attorney did in 2003. She found a critical error with regards to how her property was put in Trust with the county and provided the service to correct that error. Then I hired her to do our estate plan from scratch in a rush timeline. Not only did she complete the estate plan in our timeline, we found her highly professional, very diplomatic when discussing sensitive topics, responsive, and thorough. I would highly recommend her services as she made the process easy and quick.

Matt is simply awesome!! We researched a few firms, talked to a few lawyers, before we decided to…read morego with Matt (referred by my credit union personal banker). We did have a trust many years ago with another firm but that lawyer retired and his firm wanted to charge a lot more for lifetime trusts, had a poor response time with interaction only with front-office staff and so that law firm lost a repeat client business! Matt is very methodical, the entire process is very well organized, he goes through patiently all the nuances in the intro call and to his credit he is also very clear on what he can commit to or not (e.g. a 24 hour response time window or completely remote zoom based exchange than in person mtgs/office). This ensures client satisfaction since clients are clear on what to expect upfront. Matt also helped us navigate creating the concept of lifetime trusts and its benefit, several other lawyers just wanted to create a simple trust or charge more for lifetime trust. Matt has a very reasonable flat-fee (his fees are not the highest and not the lowest) which I really liked and its not based on whether we decided to go with lifetime trusts or any other complex factors. We got our trust done within a reasonable time and if you are well organized Matt's process is fairly efficient. I am really happy we went with Matt and I highly recommend him!

We just finished setting up our Trust. I can honestly say I…read morewas not disappointed in the slightest. Living far from his office, we were initially concerned about distance, but it never became an inconvenience. Every step of our trust setup was handled smoothly and efficiently through virtual meetings and clear communication. What truly impressed us was that when we emailed, the attorney himself--not a paralegal or assistant--responded promptly and thoughtfully. Thanks to his flat-fee, full-service approach and exceptional responsiveness, we were able to establish our trust with complete confidence and peace of mind. No matter where you live in California, the quality of service you receive from this attorney will be outstanding. I give my highest recommendation.

Mark Ruiz is incredible! He helped my mom with her Living Trust, and from the very first meeting,…read moreit was clear how much he genuinely cares about his clients. He took the time to explain everything in plain language, patiently answered all our questions, and made a process that can feel overwhelming completely manageable. Beyond being knowledgeable and professional, he's kind, approachable, and truly puts people at ease. We're so grateful to have worked with him...he's simply the best!

Navigating through a messy divorce is never easy, but having Mark by our side made all the…read moredifference. He's fluent in Spanish so it made it easy for my parents to understand the legal process! From the very beginning, he was more than just a legal advisor--he was a compassionate guide, ensuring that our family understood every step of the process. He kept his communication channel open to us and responded to all of our concerns during a difficult time for us. Mark helped us with several different matters, including estate planning, living trusts, and family wills. If you're looking for a family attorney who will not only fight for your best interests but also provide the guidance and care you need during a difficult time, I cannot recommend Mark enough. He truly made a difference in our lives and will always be our go-to in the future.

Exceptional Chapter 7 Guidance -- Ryan C. Wood Is the Attorney You Want in Your Corner…read more From our first conversation to the final discharge, Ryan C. Wood was a steady, knowledgeable, and compassionate advocate. Filing Chapter 7 felt overwhelming at first, but Ryan broke everything down into clear steps, answered every question without judgment, and kept me informed at every stage. He was always prepared, proactive, and honest about timelines and expectations, which made an intimidating process feel manageable. What stood out most was his responsiveness and attention to detail. Ryan caught potential issues before they became problems, explained my options in plain English, and made sure my paperwork was complete and accurate. At the 341 meeting, his preparation gave me total confidence -- it went smoothly because he had already done the heavy lifting. Beyond the technical expertise, Ryan genuinely cared about my outcome and treated me with respect. He never made me feel like "just another case." Thanks to his guidance, I got a fresh start with far less stress than I expected. If you're considering Chapter 7, do yourself a favor and call Ryan C. Wood. Professional, prompt, and truly on your side -- five stars without hesitation.

Bankruptcy is not something I ever expected would happen to me. After being laid off during the…read morepandemic, it was difficult to get back on track financially, even once I was working again. Then a health crisis, and subsequent medical bills followed, which made it next to impossible. It was like being on an endless hamster wheel of constant worry with no money and no way out. Prior to calling the Law Offices of Ryan C. Wood, I didn't know what to expect and was genuinely nervous. I felt like a financial failure and worried that any bankruptcy attorney I spoke with would deem me as such. Fearful and secretly hoping to get voicemail, I phoned the law office after 5pm, and Ryan picked up on the first ring. With his expert knowledge and ability to explain the process in a way that anyone could understand, Ryan made me feel instantly at ease. He was completely non-judgmental and made it clear that bankruptcy laws are there to help people in predicaments just like mine. Ryan was able to quickly assess my situation, determine what type of Bankruptcy I needed, and quote a reasonable fee. He emailed me information on retaining his services that afternoon! When meeting with Ryan in person, he went through each page of his retainer contract, explained the timeline of things, and answered any questions I had. Throughout the process, I could call or email him with any concerns, and he always replied promptly. Ryan is personable and kind and really cares about doing the best job for his clients. If you are ever in the unfortunate position of having to file bankruptcy, I highly recommend the Law Offices of Ryan C. Wood.

Marina is a pleasure to work with. She explains everything and has lots of contacts for other…read moreprofessional services that make this annoying process just so much easier. Her fees are in line with the average for her field and the Bay Area. What I am saying is yes, it's expensive, but I feel I got my money's worth.

Our decision to use Marina's services to restate our Trust was fairly easy to make after a free…read moreconsultation interview with her as well as reviewing her many short and informative videos on her website on subjects related to Estate Planning. Marina's skill of explaining legalese in layman's terms was invaluable in crystallizing our thoughts and very helpful in tailoring our restated Trust, Wills, and related documents such as Advanced Health Care Directives, and Durable Power of Attorneys just as we had intended, bringing us the needed peace of mind. With Marina's responsiveness and efficiency we were ready to sign off on the completed documents just after two 40 minutes zoom call meetings with her. The entire process was educational, streamlined, and stress-free. We would not hesitate to reach out to her in the future should there be a need to amend any of our estate planning documents.

Our experience with Mari started out great, but then communication became more and more sparse. We…read morewere SO close to completing paperwork when she simply stopped returning our messages. The last step was for her to send in the completed papers and that was 5 months ago. Very disappointed.

Update: I received…read moreMarizen's private message and her request to edit or remove my review--this request was notably left off her public comment as noted in the screenshot attached. Since the 2 stars (which equates to the "[service] could've been better") were due to the unprofessionalism and inattentiveness shown (not due to her being an LDA), I have no reason to change my rating or delete my review. TL;DR: Marizen is NOT a lawyer. She is a Legal Document Assistant that cannot provide you with legal advice. She is a significantly affordable option for a Living Trust but she is unprofessional and has poor attention to detail-- key characteristics that are paramount to detailing an important document. Details: I left a Living Trust inquiry via her site and Marizen emailed me back within 1 day to "text" her back for a scheduled over-the-phone consult. Upon speaking with Marizen it was clear she did not take the time to review the few questions I had sent her in my initial inquiry as she was confused as to what the consult would primarily be regarding. Her rates were significantly less than what other competing services were offering which raised an orange flag for me. Upon further research, I realized Marizen was NOT a lawyer, but rather a "Legal Document Assistant (LDA)." According to the CA Attorney General, LDAs cannot give legal advice. This was my first encounter with an LDA, which allowed me the opportunity to do the necessary research to make a more educated investment. Had Marizen gotten back to me with the necessary next steps and questionnaire as she had promised (it's been over 1.5 weeks), I may have considered her as a possible option to complete my Living Trust needs. But if you are looking for a more affordable option, perhaps Marizen is a good fit for you.