About Bezaire & Leathers – Estate Planning Attorneys in Irvine, CA
A 40-year Orange County story of service
Bezaire & Leathers is an estate planning firm in Irvine with roots that stretch across Orange County. Our history begins with Neil Bezaire’s practice more than four decades ago and continues under Evelyn Leathers’ leadership for the last 18 years. As the community has grown from Woodbridge to University Park and Turtle Rock, we’ve helped families understand their options and put practical estate planning services in place that reflect California law and local needs.
Our philosophy is simple: thorough preparation, plain-spoken explanations, and documents crafted for real life. Bezaire & Leathers was built to be approachable—clients meet directly with our attorneys who draft the plan, ask questions in everyday language, and leave knowing how a will, living trust, powers of attorney, and advance health care directives work together in California.
Planning built around your family
Orange County families often want to avoid unnecessary court involvement, keep matters private, and make things easier for loved ones. We focus on clear next steps, efficient timelines, and coordination with your financial and tax advisors so your plan works from Irvine to neighboring communities across Southern California.
Meet the attorneys leading your plan
Evelyn Leathers brings 18+ years of experience as your Southern California trust attorney, guiding trustees, executors, and families through complex decisions with a personable approach. From initial consult to final signing, you’ll work directly with counsel who knows your goals and returns your calls—no call centers, no runaround.
What clients appreciate most
Clients tell us the difference is our responsiveness and clarity. We take time to explain how California’s rules affect your will or trust, map the process from first meeting through funding, and provide practical guidance when life changes require updates.
Rooted in Irvine. Trusted across Orange County, Los Angeles, San Diego, Riverside, and San Bernardino.
Personal attention, clear guidance, and transparent fees
You’ll speak to a real person who can help—often one of our attorneys. We believe legal services should be understandable and predictable, so we outline scope, timing, and fees up front. For families handling an estate after a death, we offer support with probate administration and trust accountings, coordinating steps so proceedings in Orange County or neighboring courts stay on track.
If meeting in person isn’t convenient, we can schedule virtual consultations or arrange temporary meeting spaces throughout Los Angeles, San Diego, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties.
Our Team
Meet the people guiding your plan
Direct access to experienced Southern California estate planning counsel. Bezaire & Leathers pairs decades of Orange County experience with plain-spoken guidance. When you call, you reach a real person who explains your options and keeps your matter moving.
Evelyn M. Leathers
Attorney
Evelyn M. Leathers is a solo practitioner at her firm, Bezaire & Leathers, located in Irvine, California. She travels to the Inland Empire, San Diego, and Los Angeles to personally meet with clients. Evelyn is a member of both the American Bar Association and the Orange County Bar Association, as well as the Trusts and Estates Section of each organization.
During her time in law school, she served as the Managing Editor of the Whittier Journal of Child and Family Advocacy, where she advocated for disabled children to help them obtain appropriate educations.
Evelyn's current practice focuses on estate planning matters. She advises clients and drafts various legal documents, including Revocable and Irrevocable Trusts, Special Needs Trusts, Generation-Skipping Trusts, Wills, and Durable Powers of Attorney. Additionally, she administers decedents' trust estates, probates non-trust estates when necessary, and handles litigation for clients seeking further resolution.
She received her Juris Doctorate from Whittier Law School, graduating cum laude. Evelyn moved to Southern California from Texas in 1989 with her husband, Stephen, who is a former police investigator and supervisor. Stephen is now retired from practicing criminal defense law in California.
Sherlock Lau
Associate Attorney
Sherlock focuses on estate planning, trust administration, probate, and related litigation. He earned his J.D. from Chapman University’s Dale E. Fowler School of Law as a merit scholar and holds a B.A. from UC Irvine in Criminology, Law & Society with a minor in Political Science. His experience includes roles with Pacheco & Neach, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office (certified law clerk), and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Clients value his clear explanations, careful preparation, and steady courtroom presence.
Heather Prince
Office Manager
Heather keeps the office running smoothly—supporting trust administration, coordinating scheduling and documentation, and assisting the attorneys so client matters stay on track. She earned her B.A. in Liberal Studies from California State University, Long Beach.
Lauren Fidel
Client Services & Operations
Primarily assists the firm with its day-to-day operations, correspondence, scheduling, and otherwise assisting the attorneys. Lauren graduated from California State University Fullerton with her Bachelor of Science Degree in Child and Adolescent Development. In her spare time, Lauren enjoys quality family time (and eating). Lauren is a beacon of positivity for those around her.
Pat R - Mission Viejo, CA
Evelyn Leathers is a brilliant attorney. My husband and I have been going to her over 15years. We Highly recommend Evelyn. I have referred numerous people to her, they are so thankful to have Evelyn as their attorney who's there to help during difficult times or preparing for the future. Love you Evelyn
Debbie S. - San Francisco, CA
Evelyn guided us flawlessly with crisp intelligence and kindness through rather tense family trust situation. For such a busy attorney, she was almost always immediately available and responded promptly to emails and calls. She is sharply perceptive and willing to fight. She was also clear-eyed about our case so was able to see what could be done for us and what could not, thus saving us an unnecessary expenditure of funds. Because of this, we were impressed with her integrity.
I would contract with her again without hesitation.
Fernand P. - Irvine, CA
Superbe consultation to make my Trust
Evelyn, thank you truly for all of your hard work to make the transfer easy. Your advice has been extremely helpful.
You and your Staff are truly a gem!
Trudy C. - Wildomar, CA
Evelyn Leathers has continued to be of great assistance with trust documents and needed information. I have highly recommended her to family and friends throughout the years. My family has used Bezaire and Leathers for over 15 years and they have never failed to be professional and knowledgeable on trust issues.
Anita K. - Orange, CA
Evelyn Leathers is fabulous. She helped with our personal family trust and the closing of my mom's trust. She handled everything in a very professional manner. She called back promptly when needed and Donna answered email and calls promptly and took care of every issue brought to her attention. They are a good team!
Testimonials
Voices from our community
Ready when you are
Whether you’re updating an existing plan or creating one for the first time, Bezaire & Leathers makes the process comfortable and efficient. Contact our Irvine office to schedule a consultation, discuss timelines, and get matched to the right next step for your family.
