Our Team
Proudly Serving Residents of Los Angeles County
Mary E. Mullin, Attorney at Law
The death of a loved one can be so traumatic that one never fully recovers.
I know this from my own loss of my father at the age of three. My experience
with probate and decedent's estates started there. My father was only
thirty-three when he died, so he had made few provisions for his family
and had no formal estate plan. His estate was greatly reduced by court costs.
When I meet with clients, I bring with me not only this life experience
of the loss of my father, but I also bring my 20+ years of teaching at
the college/university level and my 21 years of experience as an attorney.
The combination of knowledge and experience allows me to provide my clients
with personalized service which meets their unique needs.
Clients want to see the value of the legal work for which they are paying,
to understand the documents they are signing. I believe clients make better
choices after considering the pros and cons as well as the consequences
of the legal decisions they made or are making. I enjoy being able to
break down walls of confusion and mystery about the law. The law, in my
point of view, is to serve the interests of the people which can only
happen if they understand their rights and responsibilities under the law.
I have been a member of the local community since I moved to California
after graduate school more than 23 years ago. It is encouraging to know
that I can use my skills and expertise to benefit my neighbors, fellow
church members and those who live and work in the surrounding communities.
I received my Bachelor's degree and my Master's degree from the
University of Maryland. After teaching for several semesters at local
colleges, I obtained my Juris Doctor from Western State University, College
of Law, in Fullerton. I was sworn in to the California Bar in December of 1992.
I opened the doors of my practice in Santa Fe Springs, California in March
of 1993. Although I have handled a variety of legal matters during the
first 10-12 years of my practice including Family Law, Business Law, Bankruptcy,
Civil Litigation, Collections, Landlord-Tenant Law, and more, I consider
myself fortunate to be able to focus my practice currently on Probate
(Decedent's Estates. Conservatorships and Guardianships), Trusts and
Trust Administration, and Estate Planning.
In addition to the experience I have as an attorney, I am able to bring
my experience as a Paralegal Educator to my practice as well, so I have
some of best Paralegals around working for me.
My goal as an attorney is to help my clients understand their Probate,
Trust and Estate Planning options so that they can make the best choices
for their financial future. I want my clients to be so satisfied with
the work that I have done for them that they return to me when they have
other issues, and they refer their friends and family to me to help with
their Probate, Trust or Estate Planning issues.
Give us a chance to put our expertise to work for you.
Diana Rios, Lead Paralegal
Behind every successful and effective attorney is a brilliant paralegal.
Mary E. Mullin is no exception. Her lead paralegal, Diana Rios, was born
and raised in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. She studied Business Administration
and Finance at the Universidad de Guadalajara, in Guadalajara, Mexico
for two years before moving to Southern California. She is able to speak,
read and write Spanish as a native speaker. This is a great asset in meeting
the needs of our Spanish-speaking clients.
After coming to California, Diana completed the ABA-Approved Paralegal
Program at Cerritos College, receiving an Associates Degree with a Certificate
in Paralegal studies. Her areas of paralegal specialization were in Estate
Planning and Probate. Ms. Rios is a Notary Public.
According to Diana, the best things about working as a paralegal for Mary
E. Mullin, Attorney at Law are being able to help people in their time
of grieving, being able to explain to clients the purpose of each estate
planning document, and being able to help people to protect their assets
for their love ones when it's time to leave this world.
Cynthia S. De Haro, Paralegal
Our newest member of the team at Mary E. Mullin, Attorney at Law, is Cynthia
S. De Haro. Cynthia has been working for Attorney Mullin for almost 2
years now. She obtained an Associates Degree with a Certificate in Paralegal
Studies from the ABA-Approved Paralegal Program at Fullerton College in
Fullerton, California. She is continuing her studies at California State
Dominguez Hills, working on a Bachelor of Arts degree.
When you contact the office, Cynthia's is normally the first pleasant
voice you will hear. Cynthia is a great addition to our team because of
her positive attitude and approach with clients. She is also eager to
learn new things and is enjoying learning about all the different types
of cases we handle.
Desiree Alvarado, Paralegal
Another member of the team at Mary E. Mullin, Attorney at Law, is Desiree
Alvarado who began working for Mary E. Mullin, Attorney at Law, at 16
years of age with a summer position as a clerical aide. After graduating
high school, Ms. Alvarado moved into a full-time position with attorney
Mullin working on probate and estate planning cases. She obtained an Associates
Degree from the ABA-Approved Paralegal Program at Cerritos College.
Desiree has many years of experience working in probates, trusts and estate
planning. She has this to say, "What I enjoy most about working for
Mary E. Mullin, Attorney at Law, is the challenge of dealing with different
case issues, as each probate and trust administration is unique."