Catherine H. Ford

I hired Catherine after my former counsel quit 29 days before my final orders hearing. It was a complete shock she could even take my case on such short notice. My ex was out to make my life hell and opposing counsel was the same. Catherine was able to get us a 30 day continuance. During that time sh...e prepped and did amazing work for me. She really prepared for my case in that short time and caught up on over a year of drama in less then 2 months. The day of final orders we got an offer that was garbage, so we went to trial. Catherine was amazing and caught my ex in so many lies. She objected whwn needed and truly fought to keep the hearing about division of assests. In divorce cases its never east to know what the judge will award. In this case, the judge sided with Catherine. I was awarded spousal maintenance, which honestly we were not sure the judge was going to do. I didn't get everything I wanted but spousal maintenance was a huge win. I can't recommend Catherine and her team enough!

Catherine is the second attorney I retained on my case and I appreciate that she jumped into the middle of it with both feet. She immediately hit the grab running as soon as she was retained and she has put in so much hard work on my case. She's always available to talk when I need but also takes man...y measures to keep my attorney bill from blowing up. I would recommend her to anyone.

I am writing this review to share my experience so that prospective clients can make an informed decision. I retained Catherine Ford for appellate representation and paid a substantial fee based on representations of appellate experience and preparation. The fee agreement was executed in May 2025,... and the appellate brief deadline was September 24, 2025, giving approximately four and a half months to prepare. Despite this timeframe, no filing-ready appellate brief was produced or delivered. This was not a disagreement about strategy or personality. It concerned the absence of timely preparation and completion of the core task I retained counsel to perform. Appellate preparation Meaningful appellate work did not begin until very late in the process. Verification of the completeness of the appellate record occurred only about one week before the filing deadline. As deadlines approached, I still had not received a compliant brief. To avoid missing the court’s deadline and losing my appellate rights, I ultimately prepared and filed the appellate brief myself, pro se. After paying for full appellate representation and allowing more than four months for preparation, I did not expect to complete the filing without counsel’s work product. Scope of representation Instead of focusing primarily on the appeal, time was spent on matters outside the agreed appellate scope, including post-judgment financial and property issues. These out-of-scope activities were billed separately (approximately $8,500) and did not advance the appellate brief preparation. Client objectives Rather than advocating for my position, counsel often focused on what the opposing side might accept, instead of pursuing the client’s stated objectives. When I disagreed, my concerns were not meaningfully addressed. Financial analysis Several complex financial issues were handled without thorough analysis, which created additional complications that later required correction. Communication and billing Some urgent procedural questions were not answered promptly. At the same time, I was billed for email review and related communications that did not result in clear progress on the appellate filing. The billing did not appear proportionate to the work delivered. Fee dispute On October 3, 2025, I submitted a formal written, line-by-line fee dispute (approximately $9,300) and requested review and resolution. I sent multiple follow-up requests but did not receive a substantive response. Withdrawal When concerns were raised about the representation, counsel indicated an intention to withdraw during a critical stage of the case, which created additional uncertainty regarding the appeal timeline. Disciplinary process Because attempts to resolve these concerns directly were unsuccessful, I filed a disciplinary complaint. This review reflects only my personal experience. I encourage anyone considering retaining this attorney, particularly for appellate or deadline-driven matters, to ask detailed questions about preparation timelines, deliverables, billing practices, and how work will be completed well before court deadlines.