FOR the Filipino community, family is one of the most important things. The generations past, present, and future are what marks the legacy of every Filipino, whether they are here in the US or in the Philippines. MMZ Law is a law firm that protects these legacies and seeks to help those in need, especially in the area of Estate Planning. While the firm is located in Claremont, CA they cater to all communities and people throughout Southern California.
MMZ Law specializes in a variety of areas: estate planning, elder law, trust administration, special needs trust, conservatorship, and probate. The law firm was founded in 2016 by Marivel Zialcita, MMZ Law’s lead attorney. She has been an attorney for over 21 years now, where she started her own practice just seven years ago. Asian Journal had the chance to speak to Zialcita as well as MMZ Law’s client coordinator, Bella Domingo, who is crucial in the firm’s interactions with clients.
“I’ve known I wanted to be an attorney since I was five years old. I just love learning, books, analyzing, and helping people. I also didn’t see many female attorneys out there or that looked like me,” Zialcita described, highlighting how significant her presence in the law community is as both a woman and Filipino. Her inspiration and dedication in founding MMZ Law stems from her own experiences.
“I don’t know why I chose trust and estate; I think trust and estate chose me very early,” she expressed, detailing how all of the firms she had been working for were either finance or estate based, signifying her already extensive experience in the field. “I knew I wanted to help families with their generational planning. That is our mark here (at MMZ Law). For those that are gone, that is the legacy they leave for their family moving forward,” Zialcita continued before describing how while working with a civil lit firm for a few years, both her father and uncle became sick.
“I became a power of attorney for my dad and helped him through until he passed,” she recounted, detailing how she also helped her uncle who had no family left. While helping her uncle, she realized that there were more people out there like him that needed help. “If it took me that long to find programs and do things for my own uncle as an attorney, what more do people experience out there just to give up,” Zialcita described.
To MMZ Law, the client and their relationship with their clients is important in every aspect of what they do. This is where Bella Domingo steps in as the client coordinator for the firm. “I am the front liner so if I don’t do well at first, everything else fails,” Domingo described, expressing how she is the first person that the clients come in contact with. Domingo is the one who makes sure that communication with MMZ Law clients runs smoothly. “Bella is the person that makes our lives easier,” Zialcita added, emphasizing how this front desk aspect of Bella’s job is important.
“Bella came on with the perspective of a Filipino growing up in the Philippines and I’m in the perspective of a Fil-Am that grew up in America. This helps me all across the board because unfortunately even within our Filipino community, there is sometimes a disconnect,” Zialcita continued, highlighting how Domingo helps her bridge a gap with their clients, especially those within the Filipino community. As Domingo speaks Tagalog, Zialcita expressed how she is able to interact and reach out with the Filipino client base much easier.
The Filipino community is important to Zialcita and Domingo, hence why the firm hopes to build a stronger connection with them. “I really want to outreach more into the Filipino community,” Zialcita expressed, explaining how she hopes to collaborate, sponsor, and donate time and resources in furthering not just law but also art and educational programs for Filipino youth.
However, even when they were not doing much outreach, Zialcita found that many Filipinos had already been reaching out to her and looking for her help. “What I found is, while I was not doing any outreach in any community, Filipinos in general were starting to reach out to me and look for me,” she explained, where around 20 to 30 percent of the clients coming to her were Filipino.
“What more if we can go out there in the community and actually let them know this is there for them and that they can save generationally for their families and pass on that legacy,” Zialcita remarked. “I would see a lot of Filipino families working and giving money back in the Philippines but not really thinking about what it means for their legacy and their generational planning for their families. It’s a great thing that we still think of our families holistically, but I think it is important to look and see what we can carry on generationally,” she explained, highlighting how MMZ Law is the perfect place for Filipinos to seek out this kind of guidance.
“Whatever issues they may have, we are able to bridge that gap for them very well because I’ve lived it,” Zialcita continued, highlighting how she lives the Filipino life and therefore understands her clients and what they go through.
At MMZ Law, Zialcita expressed how Filipino clients feel comfortable with them as if they are simply speaking to another Filipino. However, “I also have the perspective of an attorney working in trust and estates and I can give them what the law is here,” she added, signifying that their clients’ trust in her also stems from her extensive experience with the law.
“I’m able to give them that one on one experience. They trust me because of that and there is the added trust because I am Filipino. I don’t take that responsibility lightly,” Zialcita expressed, highlighting her dedication to MMZ Law’s clients.
“My most favorite part of the job is engaging with clients, especially if I see that they are happy and satisfied with the service we provide,” Domingo added, emphasizing how this dedication shines throughout all MMZ Law staff members.
While MMZ Law does hope to outreach towards the Filipino community, their law firm is a place for all communities and walks of life. If you need legal help that falls into the realm of estate planning, MMZ Law is the place for you. While their main office can be visited in Claremont, CA, they can also be reached via phone at (909) 256-6702 and email through [email protected]. Their website (https://mmzlawyer.com/) provides additional information on their services as well as more about their all-female staff. Reach out today!