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Goranson Bain Ausley Family LawPartner
Ms. Esther R. Donald
Pro

Ms. Esther R. Donald

5.0
2 reviews

8350 N. Central Expressway, Suite 1700, Dallas, TX 75206

Family Partner Violence and Divorce, Divorce, Collaborative Divorce and 19 more

About Ms. Esther R. Donald

Esther R. Donald has immersed herself in the collaborative law model and has been distinguished as a Master Credentialed Collaborative Divorce lawyer, one of a select few in Texas. Her practice is solely focused on out-of-court family law solutions. She is President of Collaborative Divorce Collin County, Vice-Chair of the State Bar of Texas Collaborative Law Council, and former chair of the Dallas Bar Association’s Collaborative Law Section. She is also a charter board member and the current secretary of the Collin County Bar Association’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Section.

Esther further served the State Bar of Texas as the Course Director for the Annual Collaborative Law Course in March 2022 and as the Assistant Course Director in 2021. She continues on the Planning Committee and was a speaker at the state-wide Collaborative Course in 2020, 2023, 2024 and 2025. Her emphasis on cooperative and collaborative family law solutions has led to her recognition as a “Best Lawyer” by the U.S. News Best Lawyers in America© in the field of family law in 2017-2026 and as a Texas Super Lawyer by Thomson Reuters in 2016-2025. She was also named to the 2022 “Top 100: Dallas/Fort Worth Super Lawyers” and “Top 50 Women Texas Super Lawyers” lists by Thomson Reuters.

Esther Donald is a top-tier Collaborative Divorce lawyer in Dallas, Texas, working out of our Dallas and Plano office locations.

She earned her undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Texas, where she served as associate editor of the Texas Law Review. Esther cheers for the Longhorns and the Tulane Green Wave, is a longtime member of Temple Emanu-El, and remains a passionate advocate for helping clients divorce differently, with compassion and dignity.

Honors & Awards

Best Lawyers in Dallas, D Magazine, 2025 & 2026

State Bar of Texas, Annual Collaborative Law Course, Course Director, 2022

State Bar of Texas, Annual Collaborative Law Course, Assistant Course Director, 2021

State Bar of Texas, Annual Collaborative Law Course, Planning Committee/Speaker, 2020 – 2024

Inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America© list in the field of Family Law by Best Lawyers, 2017 – 2026

Inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America© list in the field of Collaborative Law: Family Law by Best Lawyers, 2024 – 2026

Selected to the Texas Super Lawyers list, Thomson Reuters, 2016 – 2025

Named to the 500 Leading Family Lawyers List, LawDragon, 2025 – 2026

Selected to the “Top 100: Dallas/Fort Worth” Super Lawyers list, Thomson Reuters, 2022

Selected to the “Top 50 Women Texas Super Lawyers” list, Thomson Reuters, 2022

Articles

How to Rebuild Financially After a Gray Divorce: A Guide for Adults Over 50 April 28, 2026

Why Gray Divorce Is on the Rise After 50 March 27, 2026

How to Get Over a Divorce You Didn’t Want March 31, 2025

Navigating Gray Divorce Challenges in Texas: What You Need to Know About Alimony and Spousal Support December 16, 2024

Understanding Gray Divorce: Why More Couples Are Divorcing Later in Life November 27, 2024

What Is a Gray Divorce? Getting a Divorce After 50 July 26, 2023

How You Can Achieve Your Divorce Goals October 8, 2019

Social Media: Impacts both Marriages and Divorce Proceedings October 14, 2016

The Final Divorce Decree is Not Etched in Stone September 8, 2015

Publications & Speeches

“Help Your Teen Cope with the Effects of Divorce,” Goranson Bain Ausley, 2023

“Out of the Shadows: Incorporating Adult Children into the Collaborative Divorce Process,” Collaborative Law Course, 2020

“Disproportionate Division and Spousal Maintenance for the Non-Monied Spouse,” Advance Family Law, 2019

Presentations

“Trends and Challenges to the Standard Possession Order,” Family Justice Conference, 2024

“Beyond Child Support: Creative Approaches to Children’s Expenses,” State Bar of Texas Collaborative Course, 2024

Certifications

Master Credentialed Collaborative Professional, Collaborative Divorce Texas, 2026

Credentialed Collaborative Professional, Collaborative Divorce Texas, 2021

 

Ms. Esther R. Donald (Dallas, Texas) View website

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Services

Areas of Law

  • Family Law 1
    • Divorce
  • Other 21
    • Family Partner Violence and Divorce
    • Collaborative Divorce
    • Negotiated Divorce
    • High Net Worth Divorce
    • Gray Divorce
    • Amicable Divorce
    • Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements
    • Parenting Schedules
    • Divorce for Women
    • Divorce for Men
    • LGBT Divorce
    • LGBT Parenting Rights
    • Property Division
    • Dividing the Marital Home
    • Characterization of Separate and Community Property
    • Business Valuation in Divorce
    • Complex Property
    • Divorce for Business Owners
    • Mental Health and Addiction in Divorce
    • Grandparent Visitation and Custody Rights in Texas
    • Pre-Divorce Guidance

Practice Details

Experience

  • Bar Admission & Memberships
    Admissions
    1988, Texas
    1988, U.S. District Court, Northern and Eastern Districts of Texas
    Memberships

    Collaborative Divorce Texas, Member
    Collin County Bar Association, Alternative Dispute Resolution Section, Secretary, Charter Board Member
    Collin County Bar Association, Family Law Section, Member
    Collaborative Divorce Collin County, President, 2024, Member
    Dallas Bar Association, Fellow, Membership Chair, 2022, Board Member, 2021-23, Member, 2024-present
    Dallas Bar Association, Collaborative Law Section, Chair, 2019 – 2020, Vice Chair, 2018 – 2019
    Dallas Bar Association, Family Law Section, Member
    Dallas Bar Foundation, Fellow, 2019
    State Bar of Texas, Collaborative Law Council, Vice President, 2024 – 2025
    State Bar of Texas, Collaborative Law Section, Member
    State Bar of Texas Annual Collaborative Law Course, 2020 – Planning Committee Member and Speaker, 2021 – Assistant Course Director, 2022 – Course Director, 2023, 2024, 2025 – Planning Committee Member and Speaker
    State Bar of Texas, Family Law Section, Member
    Texas Center for the Judiciary, Presenter 2024 Family Justice Conference and Regional Conferences
    Texas Family Law Foundation, Member

  • Education & Certifications
    Law School
    University of Texas School of Law
    Class of 1988
    J.D.
    Texas Law Review, Associate Editor
    Other Education
    University of Texas at Austin
    Class of 1985
    B.A.
    in English with honors
  • Personal Details & History
    Age
    Born in 1963
    St. Louis, Missouri, April 30, 1963

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Attorneys FAQs

  • Is this attorney admitted to practice in any U.S. Federal Courts?
    Ms. Esther Rosenblum Donald is admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas.
  • Does this attorney accept major credit cards?
    Yes, Ms. Esther Rosenblum Donald will accept American Express, Discover, MasterCard and Visa.
  • How many attorneys are in this law firm?
    Goranson Bain Ausley Family Law has 57 attorneys at this location.
  • What law school did this attorney attend?
    Ms. Esther Rosenblum Donald attended University of Texas School of Law.
  • What year was this attorney's law firm established?
    Goranson Bain Ausley Family Law was established in 1987.

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