Sara Cates

Sara jointed Willoughby & Associates in 2025 after enjoying a successful career as a partner of a local family law firm. For the past seventeen years, Sara’s practice has been primarily focused on representing clients in high conflict family law matters involving complex financial issues and high asset portfolios as well as parenting time disputes and appeals.

Sara moved to Colorado upon her graduation from South Texas College of Law in Houston, Texas in 2008. She accepted a job with a local family law firm and quickly found her niche.

Awards and Distinctions

Rising Star 2017-2022, SuperLawyers

Avvo Client’s Choice Award

Avvo Excellent Rating

About Sara

Sara knew she wanted to be a lawyer since the age of 15, probably because her mother was a paralegal for a large Texas-based civil litigation firm. When Sara’s spicy personality led to her being grounded, she was often put to work as a file clerk in her mother’s office. Reviewing volumes of trial materials and watching as attorneys and staff prepared for massive weeks-long trials fascinated her, leading to her career as a litigator.

Once in Denver, as fate would have it, Sara saw a presentation given by Kim Willoughby that resonated with her throughout her career. She learned the significant impact that a family law attorney can have, both positive and negative. The trust a client places in a family law attorney’s hand is a profound privilege and a meaningful responsibility. Sara loves getting to know each of her clients, their families, and their unique stories. While she loves the pageantry of a courtroom, she never loses sight of the profound impact it can have on a family.

Outside of work, Sara enjoys tagging along in whatever adventures her husband and son drum up. Cheering embarrassingly loud at her son’s sports games, heckling as they rebuild a DeLorean, and bringing the best snacks for fishing are her strong suits. In fact, although snow sports are foreign to this native Texan, she is proud to boast that her son (a native Coloradoan) is a three time champion of the 3 Lakes Ice Fishing Tournament’s children’s division!

Professional Associations

Colorado Bar Association
Denver Bar Association
Colorado Women’s Bar Association
Metro Denver Interdisciplinary Committee