Mary Cushing Doherty - Norristown, PA
Attorney at High Swartz LLP
Family Law Lawyers in Norristown, PA
40 East Airy Street Norristown, PA 19401
- 1 Super Lawyers®
-
48
Years
Experience
Norristown Family Law Lawyer
Updated: 02/16/2026
Areas of Practice
- Family Law
- Child Support
- Equitable Distribution
- PFA Order
- ADR - Alternative Dispute Resolution
- Family Law ADR
Attorney Information
Overview
Mary Cushing Doherty is a family law attorney and Of Counsel at High Swartz. She concentrates her practice on marital dissolution and a wide range of family law issues. An experienced and certified Arbitrator and Mediator, Ms. Doherty strives for the amicable resolution of divorce when possible; however, she is a zealous litigator when it serves her clients' best interests.
Some of Mary's noteworthy accomplishments include:
- She specializes in finding the optimal monetary settlement for complex marital cases. She works alongside financial experts and forensic accountants for high-income individuals and dependent spouses.
- She arbitrates complicated financial analysis matters to resolve monetary awards typically unobtainable in court.
- Drafts comprehensive and protective prenuptial agreements and marital settlement agreements by anticipating the problems that clients can't or haven't envisioned
- Drafts "romantic" prenuptial agreements that are designed to foster a long healthy marriage based on communication and shared values
Beginning her career in Philadelphia, she served as chair of the Philadelphia Bar Family Law Section in 1985 and as its representative on the Judicial Selection Commission. She was a co-chair of the Montgomery County Family Law Committee in 1994 and chair of the Pennsylvania Bar Association Family Law Section in 1999-2000.
Mary served as President of the AAML Pennsylvania Chapter from 2006 to 2007. After that, she served as Chapter Leader Coordinator from 2010 to 2013 and co-chaired the AAML Legislation Committee for several years. She will co-author her second law review article for AAML in 2024.
Mary has rightfully been honored over the years for her unparalleled community work and dedication to marital and family law. Super Lawyer consistently ranks her as a Top Lawyer in America®. She's also received honors as a Top Attorney in Suburban Life Magazine and an honoree in the Montgomery and Pennsylvania Bar Association. In 2012, she was a Legal Intelligencer Women of the Year recipient and PBA Lynette Norton Award honoree. In 2018, Mary received the prestigious honor of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Woman of the Year for the Philadelphia area and top state Advocate in 2023.
As an attorney, Ms. Doherty has enjoyed a distinguished career. She's been a Course Planner and Lecturer for The PBI (and served on its board for seven years), the Philadelphia Bar Association, and MBA Family Law Sections, and a Lecturer for the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML). She has been a spokesperson for legislative reform for the Pennsylvania Bar Association. The PBA has honored her for acting as its spokesperson for reform of the custody statute and the Divorce Code to ease lengths of no-fault divorce. She chaired the Supreme Court Committee on certification organizations that qualify lawyers as experts. She served on the Pennsylvania Domestic Violence Task Force. Plus, she participates in the PA Joint State Legislative Committee on Family Law.
Outside the Office
Mary's civic and community activities are varied and numerous. She chairs the Pennsylvania Advocacy Committee for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society addressing state and federal legislators to pass laws to help blood cancer patients and their caregivers and received the National Award as Outstanding State Leader in 2023 She's also serves on the BucksMont Light the Night Executive Committee.
She is active in her church, St. Catherine of Sienna, as a lector in Horsham. She also organizes the Holy Innocents memorial every Christmas in memory of infants children who have died and is an active supporter of the St. Vincent DePaul Society. She was an adjunct instructor in Child Development to Upper Dublin High School youth for 28 years. Mary has served as an Inn of Court mentor and Master of the Bench for Doris Jonas Freed Inn since its inception in 1995.
Awards and Honors
Honors
- AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell® since 1991
- Top Lawyers Around the Main Line and Western Suburbs - 2019, 2021-present
- The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Woman of the Year, 2018
- Pennsylvania Bar Association, Special Achievement Award, 2017
- PBA Women in Profession Lynette Norton Award, 2012
- Legal Intelligencer, Women of the Year Recipient, 2012
- Woman of Distinction Recipient, Philadelphia Business Journal, 2009
- Recipient of the Frederick Cohen Award for Excellence in Teaching, 2008
- Margaret Richardson MBA Award Honoree, 2006
- Upper Dublin School Board Recognition for 20 years as an adjunct instructor
- Super Lawyers, Top-rated Family Law Attorney in Norristown, PA, from inception, 2004-Present
- Best Lawyers in America® (Philadelphia-Family Law), 1995-Present
- Top Attorneys, Suburban Life Magazine, 2011, 2017, 2018
- Top Lawyer, Main Line Today - 2017-present
Other Sources of Feedback About Mary Cushing Doherty
Included on the 2026 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers list
Past Lists
- 2025 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers list
- 2024 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers list
- 2023 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers list
- 2022 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers list
- 2021 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers list
- 2020 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers list
- 2019 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers list
- 2018 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers list
- 2017 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers list
- 2016 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers list
- 2015 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers list
- 2014 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers list
- 2013 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers list
- 2012 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers list
- 2011 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers list
- 2010 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers list
- 2009 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers list
- 2008 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers list
- 2007 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers list
- 2006 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers list
- 2005 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers list
- 2004 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers list
Education
-
Legal Education
-
Villanova University School of Law,
Villanova,
Pennsylvania, 1978
J.D.
-
Villanova University School of Law,
Villanova,
Pennsylvania, 1978
-
Non Legal Education
-
University of Delaware,
Newark,
DE,
U.S.A., 1975
B.A.
Honors: With Honors
-
University of Delaware,
Newark,
DE,
U.S.A., 1975
Current Employment Position(s)
-
Special Counsel
Past Positions
- Law Offices of Mary Cushing Doherty, Owner, Sole Proprietor, 1988 - 1999
- Abrahams & Loewenstein, Partner, 1987 - 1988
- Abrahams & Loewenstein, Associate, 1979 - 1987
- Abrahams & Loewenstein, Special Counsel, 1988 - 1999
Classes and Seminars
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Family Law Potpouri: Prenuptial Planning; Custody Litigation, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, 2001
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Tax Consequences In Divorce, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, 2000
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Divorce Law Update, Family Law Issues for Accountants, PICPA, 2000
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Lecturer, Family Law Committee & General Practice Committee, Montgomery County Bar Association, 1992 - 1998
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Course Planner & Moderator, Equitable Distribution and Retirement Planning, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, 1997
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Course Planner & Moderator, Drafting Marital Agreements, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, 1992 - 1999
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Course Planner and Lecturer, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, 1992 - 1997
-
Lecturer on Ethics, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, 1992 - 1993
-
Lecturer on Ethics, Philadelphia Bar Association, 1992 - 1993
- Lecturer, Support, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, 1991 - 1993
Pro Bono Activities
- UNITE, Inc., Chair of the Board, 1988 - 2007; member from 1982 to 2010
- St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church, Horsham, Pre-Cana counselor, 1982-2011
- Upper Dublin High School, adjunct instructor, Child Development II, from 1995 to 2023
- Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Advocacy Committee Chair for Pennsylvania; SE Pennsylvania Chapter fundraiser (Light the Night, Big Climb, Visionaries of the Year)
Published Works
Articles
-
Drafting Marital Settlement Agreements (Co-Editor), Pennsylvania Bar Institute, 1992
-
Drafting Marital Settlement Agreements (Co-Editor), Pennsylvania Bar Institute, 1996
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Drafting Marital Settlement Agreements (Co-Editor), Pennsylvania Bar Institute, 1999
Bar Admissions
- Pennsylvania, 1979
- New Jersey, 1979
Other Affiliations
- Pennsylvania Bar Association, Family Law Section, 1999 - 2000 (Chairman)
- Pennsylvania Bar Institute, 1992 - 1998 (Board of Directors)
- Pennsylvania Bar Association, Family Law Section, 1990 - 1994 (Council Member)
- Pennsylvania Bar Association, Family Law Section, 1995 - 1999 (Officer)
- American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, 2001 (Treasurer Elect, Pennsylvania Chapter)
- Pennsylvania Joint State Government Commision, 1995 - 2001 (Member, Domestic Relations Law Committee)
- Philadelpha Bar Association, Family Law Section, 1979 - Present (Member)
- Philadelphia Bar Association, Judicial Section Commission, 1985 (Member)
- Philadelphia Bar Association, Family Law Section, 1985 (Chairman)
- Philadelphia Bar Association, Commission on Women in the Profession, 1997 - Present (Member)
Photo
Contact
40 East Airy Street
Norristown, PA 19401
Phone: 610-275-0700
Email: Send a message
-
https://highswartz.com/
- https://highswartz.com/legal-insights/ (Legal Insights)
Hours: 8:30am - 5:00pm M-F
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