Catherine M. Benouis - an Austin, United States Divorce Lawyer

Austin Divorce Lawyer

Updated: 03/02/2026

Areas of Practice

Divorce
Family Law
High Asset Divorce
Complex Property Division
Collaborative Divorce
Child Custody
Modifications
Adoptions
Mediation
Pre & Postnuptial Agreements

Litigation: 100%

Attorney Information

Overview

"Divorce can be one of the biggest transitions in one's life, and one of the scariest, lowest periods we face. Helping people through this is the work I do best. I am accessible and responsive to my clients throughout the process. I myself have gone through a divorce when my children were young and now have two teenage children. While every situation is different, my experience and expertise allows me to interact with my clients with compassion and a sense of humor, with a real understanding of the challenges, and with a strategic, experienced eye toward achieving the best possible results for both the immediate time and the long run.

To set up an initial consultation, please contact me. I look forward to working with you."

- Catherine Benouis

When just eight years old, Austin divorce attorney Catherine Benouis was inspired by a scene in a movie that showed a lawyer helping a client and decided then and there that she wanted to do the same. Catherine truly enjoys integrating her knowledge and expertise with the law and helping families. She considers it a privilege working with her clients.

After graduating with a BA from Indiana University in 1986 (Phi Beta Kappa with distinction), Catherine went on to earn her law degree from the University of Illinois in 1990, graduating magna cum laude, Order of the Coif, in the top 10 percent of her class. She then began practicing with an international law firm, Jones, Day, Reavis, & Pogue, first in Chicago and then here in Austin, Texas. After volunteering on family law cases, Catherine was drawn to the practice of family law, and in 1994 started her private practice in family law in Austin.

Awards and Honors

Super Lawyers® Selectees

Catherine M. Benouis included in a Super Lawyers® list

Honors

Phi Beta Kappa, Indiana University 1986 with distinction
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2022 - 2024

Other Sources of Feedback About Catherine M. Benouis

Included on the 2026 Texas Super Lawyers list

Past Lists

2025 Texas Super Lawyers list
2024 Texas Super Lawyers list
2023 Texas Super Lawyers list
2022 Texas Super Lawyers list

Education

Legal Education
- University of Illinois College of Law, Illinois, 1990
  Honors: magna cum laude
  Honors: Order of the Coif
  Honors: Law Review Notes Editor
Non Legal Education
- Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, 1986
  B.A., Bachelor of Arts
  Honors: Graduated with distinction

Current Employment Position(s)

```
Founding Attorney
```

Past Positions

Jones, Day, Reavis, & Pogue

Classes and Seminars

Course Director for CLI-TX Interdisciplinary Training

Pro Bono Activities

Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation
Fellow of the Austin Bar Foundation

Bar Admissions

Texas, 1992
Illinois, 1990

Specialties and Certifications

Board Certified in Family Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization, 1998
Master Credential by Collaborative Divorce Texas
Board of Trustees of Collaborative Divorce Texas, 2026

Other Affiliations

Member, State Bar of Texas (including Family Law Section)
Member, College of State Bar of Texas
Member, Travis County Family Law Advocates
Member, Texas College of Collaborative Law
Member, Austin Bar Association
Member, Austin Bar Association Family Law Section
Chair, Travis County Bar Association People's Law School, 2001-2005
Member, Collaborative Divorce Austin Chapter
Charter Member, Collaborative Divorce Texas
Board Member, Collaborative Divorce Austin
Master Credentialed by Collaborative Divorce Texas

Reviews

Customer Reviews for Catherine M. Benouis

5.0 out of 5

2 Reviews

Write a Review

Learn more about our review guidelines.

2 Reviews

5

100%
4

0%
3

0%
2

0%
1

0%

Highlights

4.8 Value
4.8 Quality of Service
4.5 Professional Competence

By Anonymous on Apr. 13, 2026

Verified Client
Hired Attorney 2024-2026

Recommends this Attorney

I greatly appreciated Cathy's expertise, counsel, and understanding as she helped me with my case. She understood process and strategy, and was able to communicate advice at my level with rationale that helped me make better decisions. She was generally quick to respond, and was willing to delegate/engage office staff to facilitate completion of actions. Without getting into case details, what might have normally been a 6 month process took years to complete for a variety of reasons. Nonetheless, Cathy was flexible and helped me navigate the extended timeline, keeping overall objectives/constraints in focus and addressing ad hoc issues. She offered emotional support in difficult circumstances to help keep the process on track. Additionally, Cathy helped me work through the financial burdens of the delayed process. It is hard to say whether my case would be resolved today without Cathy's steady hand and experience.

Value: 5.0 out of 5

•

Quality of Service: 4.5 out of 5

•

Professional Competence: 4.0 out of 5
Related to:

Family Law

Child Custody

Divorce
By Anonymous on Oct. 20, 2023

Verified Client
Hired Attorney 2017-2023

Recommends this Attorney

Catherine is an exceptionally dedicated, compassionate, and talented lawyer. She is very in tune with the difficult nuances of family law. She handles her cases with care, and precision. She helped me with a difficult divorce, and later fought for me in an awful custody battle. Her incredible competence eventually won the case brought against me, protecting me and my children from great harm. She is a fantastic lawyer. Highly recommended.

Value: 4.5 out of 5

•

Quality of Service: 5.0 out of 5

•

Professional Competence: 5.0 out of 5

Contact

Austin, TX

4401 West Gate Blvd
Suite 330
Austin, TX 78745

Directions

Phone: 512-764-3932

Email: Send a message

Website: https://www.benouislaw.com

Credit Cards Accepted
Virtual Appointments

Disclaimer

Your Profile? Update Now

When viewing a listing, consider the state advertising restrictions to which lawyers and law firms must adhere, as well as our FindLaw.com Legal Directory disclaimer. Some lawyers publish comparative information regarding the services that they provide which may be subject to specific comparative communications restrictions.

How do I choose a lawyer?

Consider the following:

Comfort Level – Are you comfortable telling the lawyer personal information? Does the lawyer seem interested in solving your problem?
Credentials – How long has the lawyer been in practice? Has the lawyer worked on other cases similar to yours?
Cost – How are the lawyer's fees structured — hourly or flat fee? Can the lawyer estimate the cost of your case?
City – Is the lawyer's office conveniently located?

Not sure what questions to ask a lawyer?

Here are a few to get you started:

How long have you been in practice?
How many cases like mine have you handled?
How often do you settle cases out of court?
What are your fees and costs?
What are the next steps?

Want to check lawyer discipline?

It is always a good idea to research your lawyer prior to hiring. Every state has a disciplinary organization that monitors attorneys, their licenses, and consumer complaints. By researching lawyer discipline you can:

Ensure the attorney is currently licensed to practice in your state
Gain an understanding of his or her historical disciplinary record, if any.
Determine the seriousness of complaints/issues which could range from late bar fees to more serious issues requiring disciplinary action.

Catherine M. Benouis - Austin, TX