Ashton McCary

Creating Clear, Practical Solutions for Family Law Matters

I practice family law to help clients find their footing when life feels uncertain. My goal is to ensure that people in vulnerable situations are heard, understood, and supported through a process that can often feel overwhelming. I’m drawn to family law because it allows me to combine my analytical skills with my passion for helping families reach creative, durable solutions that work for their unique circumstances.

My approach is rooted in empathy and objectivity. I believe in speaking softly and carrying a big stick—remaining calm and compassionate while advocating firmly for my clients’ interests. I take time to investigate, analyze, and tell the full story behind each case, ensuring that every decision is grounded in evidence, understanding, and integrity.

Here’s How:

• Give clients a voice in the legal system through clear communication and thoughtful advocacy.
• Develop practical, out-of-the-box solutions tailored to each client’s needs.
• Approach each case with diligence and precision to uncover solutions that support long-term stability.

Experience and Professional Credentials

Before joining Goranson Bain Ausley as an associate, Ashton clerked in the firm’s Dallas office, gaining hands-on experience across a variety of family law matters. She assisted in case preparation, and worked closely with attorneys and paralegals to develop client-focused strategies and solutions.

During law school, Ashton served as Chief Counsel of the VanSickle Family Law Clinic at SMU Dedman School of Law, where she represented clients in divorce proceedings involving property division, spousal maintenance, and constructive fraud. She also provided limited-scope representation to pro se litigants and incarcerated mothers on family law matters.

Ashton assisted Professor Joanna Grossman at SMU Dedman School of Law with probate, adoption, and family law DVAP cases, gaining experience drafting pleadings, motions, and decrees. Her early legal experience includes clerkships with Palmer Law Group, Norcross Law, and The Honorable Tom Nowak of the 366th Civil District Court in McKinney, where she observed hearings and trials and conducted research on family, civil, and criminal matters.

Before entering the legal profession, Ashton spent ten years as a failure analysis chemist and multi-disciplined engineer at Raytheon and Stanley Black & Decker. Her technical background sharpened her analytical thinking, precision, and problem-solving—skills she now applies to analyzing evidence and building well-structured cases for her clients.

A proud graduate of the University of Texas at Dallas, Ashton earned her Bachelor of Science in Chemistry with a minor in Biology. She went on to earn her Juris Doctor from SMU Dedman School of Law, where she received the Dean’s Scholarship and was a member of the Dallas Bar Association Family Law Section.

Ashton is a family lawyer working out of the Dallas office.

Interests

Outside the office, Ashton enjoys spending time with her three children and significant other, attending her teens’ marching band competitions, walking, and working on puzzles. She also enjoys dancing West Coast Swing and playing the violin—though she modestly admits she’s “not well-practiced.”