Don Ford, founder of Ford & Mathiason, has been dedicated to the practice of probate and estate planning since early in his education. In law school, Mr. Ford was fortunate to be able to concentrate his education in estate planning and business planning, not unlike a major in undergraduate school. His concentration in estate planning and business planning involved a curriculum designed around an in-depth study of those areas. Additionally, he was able to regularly work one-on-one with professors in those fields so that before he even graduated from law school he had experience in tax planning and will drafting.

Mr. Ford graduated from Baylor University with degrees in Accounting and Law. He has also completed several post-graduate courses at Baylor in pursuit of a Masters in Taxation. Following law school, he began his career as a Tax Attorney for a large international accounting and consulting firm, where he assisted clients primarily in the areas of Estate and Gift Tax and Personal Income Tax. The combination of his tax-related degrees and his experience working as a Tax Attorney have given Mr. Ford a strong background in the areas of Estate Planning and Probate, and he has focused his attention and expertise in these areas ever since.

Mr. Ford regularly writes on the areas of estate planning and probate. Some of his published work includes:

Navigating Businesses through the Claims Procedure in Probate Court, Corporate Counsel Review, Journal Published by the South Texas College of Law, Spring 2005 anticipated publication.

Who’s in Charge? A Continuing legal education paper written and presented as part of the course Oddities and Challenges in Texas Probate. November 16, 2004.

Miscellaneous Odd Issues in Probate. A continuing legal education paper written and presented as part of the course Oddities and Challenges in Texas Probate. November 16, 2004.

The Continued Debate Over Family Limited Partnerships, The Houston Lawyer Magazine, September/October, 2002

Estate Tax Repeal: Miracle of Myth?, The Houston Chronicle, August 31, 2001

Professionalism, The Houston Lawyer Magazine, Guest Editor, January/February, 2002

The Debate Over Judicial Selection, The Houston Lawyer Magazine, Guest Editor, March/April, 2003

Mr. Ford is active in several professional associations, which include memberships and leadership positions in the following:

Fellow of the Houston Bar Foundation

Board of Trustees of the Houston Lawyer Referral Service (since 2001)

Member of the Editorial Board of The Houston Lawyer magazine (since 2000)

Faculty and Planning Committee for Oddities and Challenges in Texas Probate , November 2004

Member, Disability and Elder Law Attorneys Association (since 1999)

Board Member, The Joshua Foundation

Certified Ad Litem attorney (certified to serve as either Attorney ad litem or Guardian ad litem in any Probate Court in Texas).

Houston and Dallas Bar Associations

Mr. Ford devotes his knowledge and experience to maintaining the reputation of Ford & Mathiason as a leading estate planning and probate firm in Texas.