Meet Marivel M. Zialcita, Founder of MMZ Law, a Professional Corporation
MARIVEL M. ZIALCITA, Attorney at Law has been an attorney for over 19 years. Since her appointment, Marivel has demonstrated a devotion to her clients. First, by becoming a Senior Advocacy Specialist while working for a reputable estate planning firm, where she prepared hundreds of Estate Planning Portfolios across Southern California. Then in 2009, after coming into a boutique firm she cultivated and expanded her Estate Planning practice and gained an extensive Probate court presence. She is a well-recognized figure by her colleagues and Judicial Officers who have come to know her as an attorney who is humbled by her desire to grow, learn, and serve. A continued call to action brought Ms. Zialcita to seek her growing role as Court Appointed Counsel and Guardian at Litem in Conservatorship Matters for San Bernardino Superior Court, representing individuals diagnosed with cognitive disabilities.
As the founder of MMZ LAW, A Professional Corporation, she practices in trust and estate, elder law, Medi-Cal asset protection planning, veterans’ affairs benefits, conservatorship, special needs, trust administration, and probate. Since 2016, her practice has evolved from a sole-practitioner to a cooperative business group equipped with seasoned professionals, including in-house work with a Private Professional Fiduciary and a Medi-Cal Professional Advocate. Beginning in 2018, Marivel brought in Soo J. Myland as a Partner, who worked previously at distinguished local firms, where she focused on Estate Planning, Wealth Management, and Business Succession Planning. With the addition of this insight, Marivel helps her clients fulfill meaningful charitable giving, business succession planning, and tax-efficient wealth transfers and tax elections.
Marivel is a frequent speaker on trust and estate matters for the National Business Institute. In the past, she has given in-house seminars for organizations such as New York Life, Mass Mutual, the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, and Chaffey Federal Credit Union. She currently sits on the Board for the Estate Planning Council of Pomona Valley, Aging Next, and the past Claremont Community Foundation.
Attorney Zialcita strives to create value and a meaningful experience for all her clients. She is fully committed to best representing them with one hundred percent integrity. She seeks to create a space of complete workability to deliver on her promise to stand for them in their LIFE and LEGACY.
Meet Our Team
Soo J. Myland
SOO J. MYLAND is an attorney at MMZ LAW, A Professional Corporation, where she practices in the areas of estate planning, family succession and business succession planning, wealth preservation, special needs planning, trust administration, probate, conservatorships and guardianships.
Ms. Myland graduated from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature and a concentration in Shakespeare Studies. While in college, she studied abroad at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge University in Cambridge, England, and the Université de Rennes in Rennes, France. While in college, she also created a conversational English course that she taught exclusively to physicians in Seoul who were traveling for continuing education and career opportunities in the States.
Ms. Myland has recently returned to the practice of law with invaluable life experience to complement her professional experience, including creating, owning and operating a successful small business and experiencing the death of a spouse and business partner. Ms. Myland is involved with a number of community, professional and philanthropic organizations, serving as a Board Member of the San Antonio Regional Hospital Foundation Board, past Board Member for the Rancho Cucamonga Animal Care Foundation, member of the Executive Advisory Council for Inland Empire United Way, member of the Executive Advisory Council for The Community Foundation for Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, the Fontana Police K-9 Pals, and the San Bernardino and Pomona Valley Estate Planning Councils.
Ms. Myland is an active supporter of various philanthropic organizations with a particular passion for animal charities. Despite her successful entrepreneurial venture in the competitive pet industry, she chose to return to the practice of law specifically to assist others in ensuring that their life’s work, pursuits, achievements, possessions, passions, and legacy continue on in the manner they intend and desire.
Wendy Smith
University of La Verne
Bachelor of Science, Paralegal Studies
Wendy Smith has been a licensed Professional Fiduciary with the State of California since 2018. She is also certified by the Center for Guardianship Certification as a National Certified Guardian. She acts as a financial manager, decision-maker and advocate for her clients making sure their financial and personal needs are met when they can no longer control those aspects of their life. She seeks to support the mental and emotional well-being of her clients, reduce their stress in changing circumstances and help each client and their families enjoy a fulfilling life.
Wendy is a member of the Professional Fiduciary Association of California and is a Notary. She received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Paralegal Studies from the University of La Verne in 1989 and attended the University of Redlands for her fiduciary training in 2017. She is qualified to act as a Trustee, Conservator, Estate Administrator, Healthcare Representative and Agent under a Power of Attorney. She administers general Trust, Special Needs Trust and minor Trusts.
She has over 36 years of experience as a Paralegal in Estate Planning, Probate, Conservatorship and Trust Administration. Wendy has extensive experience in preparing estate planning documents, accountings for court and non-court proceedings and uses these skills to assist our clients.
Kylie Vanderwende
Kylie attended the UCLA paralegal program in 2014 and has now been working in the Probate field for over 3 years. She is also a Notary Public and assist in executing all trust plans for the firm. Prior to her work in the legal field, Kylie was enlisted in the United States Marine Corps from 2006-2010 where she completed two deployments to Iraq. In her thirst for knowledge, she is also currently enrolled in ASU and getting her degree in Political Science.
Kylie is very excited to join the firm in the capacity of Probate Paralegal so she can continue to assist clients in their time of need.
her email is kylie@mmzlawyer.com
phone number is (909) 256-6702
Sonia Pena
Sonia joined the team in November 2016 as a Billing Assistant. She obtained her Bachelor’s Degree from California State University of Los Angeles in May 2017. She has 10 years of billing and accounting experience in the legal field and primarily handles the billing and accounting in the office. She strives to provide efficient client service while meeting the client’s expectations.
