Donovan Donald R

Information may not be reliable

Donald R. (Dick) Donovan is a native of Atlanta who was admitted to the practice of law in 1979, and located his offices in the Douglas, Cobb and Paulding County area in 1981. Dick practices in most all north Georgia counties, including, in addition to those listed above, Haralson, Polk, Floyd, Carroll, Coweta, Fulton, DeKalb, Bartow and Cherokee Counties; he has tried cases in more than twenty-five counties in Georgia and in three other states. Dick is admitted to all the several courts in Georgia, including city courts, state courts (Magistrate, State and Superior), the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia and the United States Courts of Appeals for the Fifth, Eighth and Eleventh Circuits. Dick has argued before the Georgia Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of Georgia. He has been admitted pro hac vice in U. S. District Courts in Alabama, Florida and Minnesota. Varied legal and mediation services are offered in our offices, and we invite your inquiry by e-mail to drdlaw@ix.netcom.com. We appreciate the opportunity to help you with your legal problem.

Criminal: Criminal defense is emphasized in the Law Offices of Donald R. Donovan, based in part on Dicks nearly twelve years in public and private law enforcement, and his training in criminal investigation. His trial experiences range from a dog-at-large case in magistrates court, DUI cases in city and state courts, to murder trials in state courts and major felony trials in United States District (federal) court. Dick has been a member of the Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers since 1983.

Civil: In addition to family law cases, we also handle personal injury cases and other cases which involve the filing of a lawsuit in any of the several courts in which we practice. Dick is a litigator, or trial lawyer, specializing in jury and non-jury trials. We also handle contracts, wills, powers-of-attorney, and other civil matters. We do not handle Workers Compensation, Social Security claims, real estate transactions (we do handle litigation involving real estate, but not closings), taxes or tax law matters, or bankruptcy. These are administrative or specialized areas, and we will be happy to refer you to an associate of ours or another law office to handle these matters.

Domestic: Family law is the other major area of concentration in the Law Offices of Donald R. Donovan. Divorce, adoption, custody cases, child support modification and recovery, motions for contempt, Family violence and petitions for Temporary Protective Orders, as well as representation in Juvenile Courts are all part of the practice of Family Law. Divorces, both uncontested and contested, comprise the majority of the non-criminal matters handled in the office, with divorce cases now numbering more than a thousand files.

Fees: Criminal and Domestic matters, as well as other civil matters, are handled on a fee-paid basis, usually requiring a retainer fee to be paid before work is begun. A retainer is a sum paid to "retain" a lawyers services. There may be, and usually is, an additional amount to be paid, usually at the conclusion of the case. Some criminal matters (e.g., DUI) are handled on a flat fee basis. Personal injury cases are handled on a contingency basis, which means no fee or retainer is paid (clients are responsible for expenses such as filing fees) but rather that we retain a portion of the amount recovered as the fee. Discussions about fees and questions about fees are always appropriate; it is important for any client to know what and when he is to pay for legal representation.

Office: Our office is located in downtown Douglasville, Georgia, at 8440 Courthouse Square East, across from the old Douglas County Courthouse. Office hours are 9:00 A.M. until 5:00 P.M. Monday through Friday. Helen Rutherford is Dicks secretary and personal assistant, and handles all schedules all appointments and keeps track of the trial and hearing calendar. She frequently returns calls with information for clients, and is always more than happy to help.