Don D. Ford III
Managing Partner

Don Ford, founder of Ford+Mathiason, has been dedicated to the practice of probate, guardianships and estate planning since early in his education and continues to work daily to be one of the most distinguished attorneys in Texas in this practice area.

In 2010, Mr. Ford achieved the highest distinction available to an attorney practicing in the area of Estate Planning and Probate in Texas. He has become Board Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, which is a recognition bestowed on a very few attorneys who have demonstrated special competence in this area of law and who have received recommendations from fellow attorneys and judges with whom they have worked.

In 2009, Mr. Ford completed the required course-work to become certified to serve as a mediator. In pursuit of this distinction, Mr. Ford attended the world-renowned Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at the Pepperdine University School of Law in Malibu, California. He attended this intensive course with the goal of being able to conduct mediations in probate and guardianship cases, as very few mediators in Texas specialize in these areas.

Mr. Ford's recent distinctions are reflective of a dedication to the areas of estate planning, probate, and guardianship that began 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 devotes his knowledge and experience to maintaining the reputation of Ford+Mathiason as a leading estate planning and probate firm in Texas.

Our Houston office conveniently serves our clients in Harris, Montgomery, Brazoria, Galveston, and Fort Bend counties, while our Dallas office serves clients in Dallas, Tarrant, Denton, and Collin counties.

 

Ford+Mathiason LLP

  • 5151 San Felipe
  • Suite 1950
  • Houston, TX 77056
  • T: 713.260.3926
  • F: 713.260.3903
  • 901 Main St.
  • Suite 6300
  • Dallas, TX 75202
  • T: 214.389.0887
  • F: 214.389.0888

Board Certified
Estate Planning & Probate

Texas Board of Legal Specialization
Areas of Practice:
Guardianship Litigation
Probate Litigation
Probate & Guardianship Mediation
Estate Tax & Gift Tax Issues
Probate & Guardianship Administration
Education:
Baylor University School of Law (1997)
Juris Doctorate
Areas of Concentration:
Estate Planning & Probate
Business Planning
Baylor University School of Business (1994)
Bachelor of Business Administration in
Accounting

Recent Publications

The Supreme Court Rules in Favor of a Retiree's Ex-Spouse

— In a decision issued on April 20, 2007, in the case Holmes v. Kent & Kent, the Texas Supreme Court addressed an important issue related to the effect of divorce on beneficiary designations signed pre-divorce on Texas Teacher Retirement System accounts.

Is the Internet a Good Substitute for Sound Legal Advice?

— Three weeks into my career as an attorney, my first probate client walked into my office wanting to probate the Will of her deceased friend.