Maria Elena Crabtree

If you're looking for a competent, responsive and responsible lawyer, look elsewhere. I hired Maria to handle my divorce case and things seemed to be moving along fine. However, one day out of the blue, my ex decided to agree to a settlement. As a result, I immediately reached out to Maria to inform ...her of the good news only to receive an out of office email response informing me that she would be out for two months due to maternity leave. Prior to the automated response, she had not informed me of this leave of absence which ultimately caused a 3 month delay in my settlement being handled. Worst of all, she had no backup plan or attorneys ready to jump in and fill in for her during her leave. She had an incompetent paralegal, Renee Soto-Johnson, working my case. Renee was rude on every phone call speaking over me, cutting me off and worst of all, had no idea what the status of my case was and wasted time and money filling out unnecessary paperwork. Because of Maria's lack of communication, poor planning, managerial skills and incompetent staff, a matter that could have been resolved in 1-2 weeks after agreeing to a settlement ended up taking 3 months; ultimately costing me tens of thousands of dollars as a result. Save yourself the trouble, headache and money by working finding and working with a competent attorney who respects you and your time. Unfortunately AVVO does not allow 0 star ratings. Notice that she only has a handful of good reviews here dating a few years back. Look her up on other sites and you'll soon see a pattern of her incompetence and lack of responsiveness in reviews from others. Avoid Maria and her law firm at all costs.

I had a consultation with Ms. Crabtree and she was an absolute pleasure to speak with. She is honest, empathetic, and knowledgeable about the law. I felt comfort a speaking with her in regards to the facts around my face. She also is highly intuitive and that was impressive to me. I would definitely ...hire her to take on my case. She strikes me as an assertive woman that knows her stuff!

My wife and I spoke to Mrs. Crabtree on the phone for a 30 minute consultation that turned into and almost 1 hour phone call. At no time did she ask for a fee or try to convince us to hire her. I think she may be 1 of very few attorney's in the state of California that cares more about her clients... than she does profit. Mrs. Crabtree explained exactly what we could accomplish on our own without the need for an attorney, and at what point we may need to think about one. As someone who specializes and teaches best business practices I can personally tell you Maria Crabtree is a very impressive attorney with a phenomenal moral compass who will stay in business for as long as she so chooses. I would hire her in a heartbeat, and if it comes down to it, she will be the attorney we hire for our case.

There were a few specific attributes I was looking for in an attorney whom I was going to hire to work on my case. 1. Expertise – A proficient attorney experienced enough to have seen it all and ready to change course as needed. My case was highly intricate, facing obstacles at every turn. Maria w...as experienced and skilled enough to surmount the impediments and remained solid, and her confidence was a strong anchor for me. 2. Attorney-Client relationship – An attorney who represents me and not just another divorce case, because every case is different, every partnership is unique, and a general rule is often not applicable. What impressed me the most about Maria was she dedicated her time and effort at the beginning of the case and attentively listened, studied, learned, and understood who her client was and the specific circumstances of the case in order to tailor the representation. Maria’s most impressive traits are her continual attention, and prompt responses to always be available to protect her client, even if it meant protecting me from myself, which built confidence, trust, and professional courtesy. 3. Comforting/reassuring – An attorney who is able to calm my emotions in an enormously stressful time. While I was panicking on the other end of the line, Maria helped put my mind at ease with her very thoughtful sound advice and her genuine warmth and care. I left her office feeling empowered and ready for my next steps every single time. Although the entire process was not fun, I think Maria and her staff made this as painless as could possibly be for me. 4. Ethical – Although, it is natural to want to “win at any cost”, but what was important to me, to hire an attorney who follows the rules of professional conduct, and obtain the best results with intelligence, skill, proficiency, and ability to practice the law rather than through unethical means. Although, Maria is aggressive with a purpose and fights hard when facing challenges, but she never lost the sight of the big picture – obtain the best results for her client through gaining the confidence of everyone involved – opposing counsel, the judge, and of course her client with her intelligence and skills. 5. Attorney’s budget – an attorney that knows when to lavish and when to be frugal about the budget. Maria not only never attempted to make my case about the money, but also she protected me from taking unreasonable risks and/or spending more money on the conflicts that had no merits. What moved me was her commitment to her client - she comforted me at times when I was concerned about sustaining my attorney’s budget, by ensuring that my representation will not be interrupted because of her fees. Many thanks to Maria and her staff!

Maria was my second attorney for my divorce. She's a young attorney, she's smart and doesn't back down at the appropriate times. She helped keep me to remain focused at settlement time. I always felt she was on my side and I trustee her. She won't fight dirty or engage foolishly with the other... side... if you want a strong person to represent you with professionalism and class, call Maria... She also has a sense of humor which is vital when going through this process! Even when you're the wife and ypu have pay him!