Practice Areas & Locations We Serve

Choose a Practice Area Below

Our experienced legal team has handled numerous cases in all aspects of trust and probate matters across all of Southern California. We are here to help, choose one of our areas to learn more. If you are unsure, give us a call (949) 706-1919.

Trust Litigation

Probate Attorney

Trustee Defense

Trust & Will Contests

Inheritance Disputes

Financial Elder Abuse

Probate & Trust Administration

Conservatorship

Beneficiary Representation

Trustee Removal & Surcharge Actions

Surviving Spouse Rights

Estate Planning

California Trust & Probate

Locations We Serve

At Max Alavi, Attorney at Law, we have decades of experience in dealing with complex trust litigation matters throughout California. When you hire our legal team, you are bringing on the best and toughest litigators around to aggresively fight on your behalf.

California Trust & Probate

Locations We Serve

At Max Alavi, Attorney at Law, we have decades of experience in dealing with complex trust litigation matters throughout California. When you hire our legal team, you are bringing on the best and toughest litigators around to aggresively fight on your behalf.

  • Irvine
  • Newport Beach
  • Huntington Beach
  • Anaheim
  • Santa Ana
  • Costa Mesa
  • Orange
  • Fullerton
  • Mission Viejo
  • Tustin
  • Laguna Beach
  • Dana Point
  • San Clemente
  • Laguna Niguel
  • Yorba Linda
  • Laguna Woods
  • Lake Forest
  • Seal Beach
  • Garden Grove
  • Westminster
  • Fountain Valley
  • Cypress
  • Brea
  • Buena Park
  • Los Angeles
  • Long Beach
  • Pasadena
  • Glendale
  • Santa Clarita
  • Beverly Hills
  • Malibu
  • Santa Monica

What Our Amazing Clients Have To Say

Bethany Anne
Max Alavi and team are amazing. They helped us with a pretty difficult probate matter and were incredibly helpful to get it resolved. They also work with wonderful real estate partners, and their entire in-team office is so helpful. 10/10 would recommend!
Iman
Great living trust services and excellent communication with Mr. Alavi and his staff . I would recommend this law office to everyone. Thank you so much 😊
Response from the owner:Iman, thank you so much for the kind words! We are thrilled to hear that you had a positive experience with Max Alavi, OC Trusts Lawyer's entire team.

Providing clear communication and peace of mind through our living trust services is our top priority. We truly appreciate your recommendation to others in the community. It was a pleasure assisting you with your legal matters!
Hillary Acevez
Ilda Acevez from costa mesa
I'm so appreciative of Max and the team that he has with him they were always so professional walk me through everything any questions I had any time they answered I felt very welcome and very safe me being confused not knowing what probate was all about they were always there for me 100% walking me through I will always be grateful and will recommend them to family and friends always so nice and professional thank you thank you thank you
Response from the owner:Ilda, thank you so much for your kind words and for sharing your thoughtful review! We truly appreciate your trust in OC Trusts Lawyers. We value you as a client and are happy to assist your family and friends with any Trust and Contested Probate matters. Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions or assistance in the future!
Virginia Romero
Great customer service christina was very helpful and very polite will recommend you to my family and friends
Melinda Wulff
Professional and knowledgeable. We are grateful that we chose Max Alavi for our attorney.
Ann Wan
I can only say good things about Max Alavi law office, the whole team did an impeccable job on the Heggstad & Probate. Ms Angela Zeng did a great job representing me in court, with excellent results. Izabela did an amazing job helping me with her knowledge about me being the Trust Administrator. She was patient, kind & so informative. She did an excellent job. Also Diana guided me along the way as well, she was also very knowledgeable, kind & responsive to my needs in a quick manner. To sum it up, I would highly recommend this law firm,you will not be disappointed. Once again Thank you all for such an awesome result on the Probate.
Daniela M.
Highly recommend. Team had so much patience and was very thorough thru the entire process. Thank you Max and team!
Response from the owner:Daniela, thank you for the high recommendation! Max Alavi and the entire team at OC Trusts Lawyer are so please we could assist you. We understand that the Living Trust & Estate Planning process can feel overwhelming, which is why we prioritize bein thorough and patient with every client.
We appreciate you trusting our Orange County Trust & Estate firm with your legal matters!
Xinyue Liu
I had the pleasure of working with Max, and I cannot recommend him highly enough. Beyond the technical expertise, Max brought warmth, professionalism, and a calming presence to a process that can feel overwhelming. I truly felt that my interests were cared for every step of the way.

If you are looking for a trustworthy, knowledgeable, and compassionate estate planning attorney, look no further. Max is exceptional.
Response from the owner:Thank you so much for your wonderful review, Xinyue! The team at OC Trusts Lawyer truly appreciate your kind words. It was a privilege to ensure that your interests were protected every step of the way.

Thank you for recommending Max as a trustworthy Trust attorney to the Orange County community. We are always here if you or your family need further assistance!
Norma Kilthau
Thank you Mr Alavi and his assistant Diana, both are very professional and took the time to answer my questions with setting up my Living Trust. I would recommend them to anyone to use their services.
Thank you again.
Yasameen Azarbaijani
We are very happy with our experience with Mr. Alavi and his team. Everything went very smoothly. The first time we spoke to Mr. Alavi he was incredibly helpful and patient, taking the time to speak with us and answer all of our questions. We had a unique situation due to my father’s frequent travel, but his team guided us through the process with care and professionalism, ensuring everything was handled seamlessly. We highly recommend Mr. Alavi for your estate planning need. He is an excellent attorney with a wonderful team.
Ernest Sari
We had the best experience with Max and his practice. He helped us understand the ins and outs of a living trust and we were able to create the trust and we highly recommend him to anybody needing help in this area
Rosevelt Jacobs
I was very happy with Max Alavi's Trust services. The attorney himself was very efficient and was able to provide my documents in an expedited manner. His staff was also a pleasure to work with and they thoroughly explained the documents to me. The information was presented clearly and understandable. I will definitely recommend this firms services to family and friends!
arash eskandari
I am very pleased with the work Mr Alavi did regarding my living trust. Also, the office staff were incredibly accommodating and organized.
Melissa Canchola
The service that was provided to my parents by everyone in the Newport Beach location was excellent. My parents were especially happy and grateful towards Diana Arreola, who was always so professional and patient with them during every step of the living trust process.
Dan Fornero
Complete professional and very reasonable pricing.
michael parsi
I was very pleased with the whole process of getting a family trust written by Mr. Alavi office.
D. Powers
Best decision I have made in getting help with an ugly estate issue. After having some difficulties finding the right team for the job, my prayers were answered. Excellent service by an excellent team. Things are resolved and the troubles behind me.
My Thanks to Max Alavi and the outstanding team.
Joann Nicole Buckanis
Excellent Living Trust service!
L.S San
Great experience
Highly recommended
Tony Beheshti
During our recent visit to Newport Beach to create a new trust, my wife and I had the pleasure of working with Mr. Max Alavi, who proved to be the most exceptional family law attorney I have ever encountered. Max and Diana, his office manager, were always available to answer our questions and provided clear and prompt responses, making the process easy to understand from the very beginning. Their commitment to ensuring everything ran seamlessly was truly inspiring, and I highly recommend their law office to anyone in need of such services. I hope to work with them again in the future. Thank you, team! Tony B.
Shahbaz Salehi
Max Alavi and his team provided invaluable assistance to my family in creating a trust within a remarkably short timeframe. The level of professionalism exhibited by Mr. Alavi and his team was truly commendable, especially in their prompt responses to my emails and calls. Having previously executed a living trust with a different law firm, I can attest that Max Alavi's work surpassed my expectations. His presentation of the trust included a meticulously organized binder, presenting all the information in an easily comprehensible and user-friendly manner. The attention to detail and clarity of the documentation exceeded my prior experience. I am thoroughly impressed with Mr. Alavi's work and the quality of the deliverables. Throughout the process, he demonstrated honesty and transparency regarding the associated fees, which I greatly appreciated. Overall, I am highly satisfied with the level of service provided by Max Alavi and would confidently recommend his expertise to others.
Da Nr
It was a great experience - very professional, and I felt very reassured throughout the whole process. Catherine Robertson was amazing. She was very attentive to every detail, and she explained everything very clearly to me.
Irma Arevalo
I was happy with the service I received at Max Alavi Law Firm. He was professional and very organized. Diana was also able to answer all my questions. I would highly recommend Max Alavi to all my friends and family. Thank you so much!
Mark Loeser
Easy, professional group of people
S. F.
The living trust that they did for me, it’s very professional and they explain every detail. I’m really happy with the work.

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Probate Court Issues and Remedies in Trust Litigation

Trust litigation requires more than technical knowledge. It demands courtroom experience, strategic judgment, and a clear understanding of how California probate judges evaluate trustee conduct and beneficiary claims.

The probate court can issue orders that force action, protect assets, and correct trustee behavior. Many disputes are brought through a trust petition under Probate Code section 17200, which allows the court to address a wide range of trust administration problems.

 

Common Issues in a Trust

Possible Remedies in Probate Court

No communication from trustee – Emails ignored, vague answers, stalled updates Order to provide information, court deadlines
No trust accounting provided – Beneficiaries cannot see income, expenses, or distributions Order compelling accounting, review of transactions
Suspicious spending or withdrawals – Large payments, unclear “reimbursements,” cash activity Freeze or restrict activity, surcharge, restitution
Trustee self dealing – Trustee uses trust assets for personal benefit Removal, damages, unwind transactions where possible
Unequal or delayed distributions – One beneficiary paid, others delayed without explanation Order directing distributions, clarification of trust terms
Dispute over trust meaning – Ambiguous language, conflicting family interpretations Court interpretation, instructions to trustee
Questionable amendment or restatement – Late changes, isolation, sudden new beneficiaries Challenge validity, seek evidentiary hearing and orders
Undue influence or fraud claims – Pressure, manipulation, or deceptive conduct alleged Set aside disputed action, recover assets if proven
Real estate conflict inside trust – Sale disputes, occupancy fights, buyout disagreements Sale order, buyout structure, accounting for rent or expenses
Missing or wrongly titled property – Assets held outside trust, transfers questioned Petition to confirm ownership, recover property, damages in bad faith cases

Let's Work Together - Tell Us Your Needs

At Max Alavi, Attorney at Law, APC, we understand the complexities of California probate law and are committed to providing solutions for trust and estate disputes. Contact us today to speak with one of our legal staff.

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