Kate McDonough

Kate McDonough, Esq.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

I have been in private practice since 2007. McDonough Law was established in 2018.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

• 2025: Bar Fellow, Maryland Bar Foundation
• 2024: Bar Leader, Bar Foundation of Montgomery County
• 2024: Board of Directors, Bar Foundation of Montgomery County
• 2024: “Leadership in the Law” Award
• 2024: Washington Post Best Lawyers – Family Law, Family Law Mediation,

Trusts & Estates (for both Maryland and DC)

• 2022-present: “Super Lawyer” in the area of Family Law by Super Lawyers

Magazine

• 2019 and 2023: Top Family/Divorce Attorney – Bethesda Magazine
• 2014: Bar Association of Montgomery County’s “Section Chair of the Year” Award for the Family Law Section
• 2012-2021: “Rising Star” in the area of Family Law by Super Lawyers Magazine
• 2011: The Maryland Daily Record “Leading Woman” Award
• 2011: The Montgomery County Inns of Court’s James Salter Pro Bono Award
• 2010: Montgomery County Bar Foundation’s President’s Citation for Outstanding

Pro Bono Service

• I have numerous awards from the Montgomery County Pro Bono Program in recognition of my volunteer work since 2009.

COURT ADMISSIONS

I am admitted to practice law in all Maryland state courts and Federal courts, including the United States District Court for the District of Maryland and United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, as well as in the District of Columbia and the United States Supreme Court.

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

I am an active member of the Bar Association of Montgomery County, Maryland, the Maryland State Bar Association;, the Women’s Bar Association (WBA) for both Maryland and Montgomery County Chapters, the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC), the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals (IACP), and the Collaborative Dispute Resolution Professionals (CDRP).

I served as Co-Chair of the Family Law Section for the BAMC from 2013-2015 and President of the Montgomery County Women’s Bar Association from 2015-2016. I was on the Executive Committee for the Committee to Retain the Sitting Judges of Montgomery County, Maryland, and presently serve on the Executive Board for the State WBA. I also serve as a Judge for the High School Mock Trial Competition and teach the “Divorce 101 Course” for New Beginnings every year.

COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES

I am a former President of the Xavier University National Alumni Association (Washington, D.C. Chapter) and a member of the Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School Young Alumnae Association. I am a Junior Member of the Janet Montgomery Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and a parishioner at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Olney, Maryland. McDonough Law is also designated as a Sixx Cool Moms of Montgomery County Approved Business.

EDUCATION

  • J.D., Cleveland-Marshall College of Law Cleveland, Ohio (2006)

  • B.A., Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio (2003)

  • Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School, Washington, DC (1999)

super lawyers award

BIO

I am proud of the many successful outcomes I have achieved for my clients, both in litigating contested matters in the courtroom and in negotiating favorable settlements. I am committed to representing my clients’ interests in the most ethical, professional, results-driven, and cost-effective manner possible.

My legal career, which has been focused primarily in family law since 2007, also encompasses probate and contested estate and trust matters, as well as collections, judgment enforcement, and civil litigation. I have extensive experience at all court levels, including the Appellate Court of Maryland (formerly the Court of Special Appeals) in Annapolis.

I am a Montgomery County native and a graduate of Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School in Washington, D.C. I earned my Bachelor of Science, with a double-major in International Affairs and Spanish and a minor in Latin American Studies, from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. My Juris Doctor is from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law.

I am fluent in Spanish, as are all of my paralegals.

In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my three children, skiing, traveling, working on home renovation projects, doing jigsaw puzzles, and cheering on my kids at their various sports and dance activities. I am also an avid fan of Xavier basketball, the Washington Commanders, and the Washington Nationals.