Attorney Profile | Franklin County Family Law Firm

Catherine M. White

Hello, my name is Catherine M. White and I have been an Attorney for over 20 years, practicing in Franklin County Ohio. I have been married to my Husband for over thirty years and we have five beautiful children who have grown into wonderful young adults. Whether you are in a custody case or a divorce action, my mission is to help you move forward while preserving your relationship with your children and assisting you in achieving a fair financial result. Thank you for allowing me to represent real people like you with your divorce , custody, and family law matters. It is an honor.

If you are reading this, thank you. You need to know me; and I need to know you. Before you come to my office, please know that I do not like nonsense; so while I absolutely love what I do, (which is helping you), I do not like the antics that, at times, come with it. Sometimes they arise from the opposing party, the opposing counsel, and / or maybe even yourself.

When we meet, I must understand your expectations; because I have to tell you if they are realistic, or not. I do not want to be that lawyer who takes your money and fights for something that isn’t going to occur. I do not use the court system to fuel discord and drive up costs, which has sadly become the norm at some offices. My goal is to minimize cost and expenses, streamline the process, and provide your family with closure as swiftly as possible.

Let me give you an example of the type of client I do not want. Imagine a scenario where a mother / father is very angry with the other parent. Mom or dad calls the attorney and says “he / she is not seeing these children; I want sole legal custody.” I will ask, why; and inquire when the other parent was last with the children. Imagine if I am told, “he / she is always with the kids; he / she is a great parent, but I am leaving this state and I am taking my kids with me.” I will ask, what part of that is in the children’s best interest? I do not want clients who do not act in their children’s best interest; and that is within my control. However, there is always someone to take that case; and they will fight for a position that will not be the end result – unless they bleed the other parent out financially first. If you don’t fall, the result will end as it should have begun, with children who enjoy consistent and frequent contact with BOTH of their parents. Regrettably, at times, that is only after countless court appearances, extensive discovery, and a whole bunch of hurdles – for no reason. Don’t do this, folks. You will destroy your kids.

I have another story. I believe a child has a God-given right to be with their parents, so long as they are a good parent who will obviously act in the child’s best interest and protect them. I told an opposing counsel this once as we walked into a court-room. She laughed and said, “lets see how far that gets you.” I search day and night to know who my father is, yet I see children denied a relationship with their father daily simply because of a vindictive mother.

As I hope to demonstrate, what is not in my control are the games played by opposing parties, often to delay, harass, or destroy you financially. I would like to share a couple examples. When you are in the process of obtaining a divorce in Ohio, you are in a Court of Equity. Equity means fair. For instance, I know you do not want to divide your marital assets; however, absent a real good reason not to, the marital portion will be divided equally, and if not equally, then equitably. Unfortunately, I cannot stop the assault that may come at us to do everything but that; but I will protect you, because that is what I do.

Think about this scenario, in the family courts, we sometimes see protection orders that serve no purpose other than to obtain leverage over the other parent in a custody battle. Many protection orders must be granted because we must protect those who are truly in danger; however, not everyone who prevails on a protection order is in danger. I will not represent you if you want a protection order simply to gain a custodial advantage; and have no problem spewing exaggerations and lies to the Court. (I have to sleep at night). However, I will represent you if you need that protection order. I will also represent you if you are the recipient of the unfair filing or granting of a protection order.

It is very frustrating to deal with the games that are played by those whose emotions have gone awry; but then I remember what a wise woman once told me – “isn’t that why you are a lawyer; isn’t this when your client needs you the most.” I am here to help you. I often tell my clients my role is sort of like picking you up and carrying you through what is possibly the most difficult of circumstances you may ever face. That’s alright, we get through this together; yet truthfully, I don’t know how each of you make it to the other side; but you do.

One last thing, I charge a $100.00 fee for our initial consultation. There are some attorneys who do consults for free; I don’t. My time and advice is what you pay for. Further, I want to be your last stop; not a knee jerk reaction when you have a fight with your spouse. Peace and love to you; I hope this tells you a little bit about me. -- catherine

My Qualifications

It is an honor to have the ability to represent individuals with their legal issues. I practice in the area of family law, which includes divorce, dissolution, and custody.

Bar Admission