Donnelly & Evans, LLPAttorney

Douglas Russell Donnelly

About Douglas Russell Donnelly

Douglas Russell Donnelly is a lawyer practicing adoption law, interstate child custody, guardianship and conservatorship. Douglas received a B.A. degree from Westmont College in 1974, and has been licensed for 48 years. Douglas practices at Donnelly & Evans, LLP in Ventura, CA.

Awards

Reviews for Douglas Russell Donnelly

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Overall Rating
Showing 1-8 of 8 client reviews from Lawyers.com
Lawyers.com Rating Snapshot
5 stars
88%
4 stars
0%
3 stars
13%
2 stars
0%
1 star
0%
What do people say on Lawyers.com?
Communication
4.6
Quality of Service
5.0
Responsiveness
5.0
Value for Money
4.5
Adoptions
Posted by Samantha
June 22, 2021
Hired Attorney Douglas Russell Donnelly

Doug is extremely knowledgable, experienced, & (almost as importantly) truly cares about the children at the center of his cases. In the almost 7 years I have been navigating the probate court, I learned how hard it is to even find a lawyer who is willing to navigate the very particular & complicated nuances of guardianships & adoptions. Probate lawyers would say they only did conservatorships and uncontested guardianships. Family Law lawyers would say they don't do probate at all. Even the lawyers who were willing just didn't have much experience in the area. Not only is Doug familiar with these cases, he specializes in them. He's helped to shape the applicable laws & to defend them on appeal. I cannot express the amount of relief retaining Doug brought. He genuinely cared & I knew from the word GO that he was worth every penny when he executed & filed a document in less than a week that I had been working for months. I highly recommend hiring Doug.

 
Adoptions
Posted by anonymous
March 06, 2021
Hired Attorney Douglas Russell Donnelly

Blessing in disguise! We were looking for an adoption lawyer to assist in our case and was recommended to Douglas. He specializes in out of state adoption proceedings. With Covid-19 it took longer than anticipated but it was definitely worth it. A bit on the pricey side, but you can't put a price tag on adoption. Douglas has great communication skills, explained every step of the way thoroughly, very responsive, and the quality of service is amazing! Thank you Douglas for making our family a legal unit. We will forever be grateful!

 
Family Law
Posted by anonymous
September 07, 2016
Hired Attorney Douglas Russell Donnelly

We had a complicated contested adoption case. Doug was instrumental winning our case, and winning it decisively and without a single person on our side even having to testify. He was fully invested in our outcome and went to great lengths to study all the exhibits (there was over 3000 pages of texts) to strengthen our case. He was communicative and extremely supportive to us during this stressful time but most importantly he was the most qualified and experienced with the Kelsey S laws.

 
Family Law
Posted by anonymous
December 06, 2011
Hired Attorney Douglas Russell Donnelly

Our family had an excellent experience working with Douglas Donnelly regarding the adoption of our daughter.

Family Law
Posted by anonymous
December 12, 2010
Hired Attorney Douglas Russell Donnelly

He is very knowledgeable, helpful, attentive to details, and makes the legal process of an open adoption as smooth as can be.

Family Law
Posted by anonymous
August 07, 2013
Hired Attorney Douglas Russell Donnelly

While his services were excellent, he was basically not clear in any overages in his fees. He gave no heads up ballpark figure or warning. When this was pointed out to him, he wanted to suddenly lower his overage fees. This lacks integrity in an attorney. Adoption work is very emotional and he should fully understand that and also that money doesn't grow trees for some people who give him their hard earned money. I would not recommend him.

 
Trusts and Estates
Posted by anonymous
August 12, 2016
Hired Attorney Douglas Russell Donnelly
Family Law
Posted by anonymous
November 05, 2010
Hired Attorney Douglas Russell Donnelly

Services

Areas of Law

  • Trusts and Estates 1
    • Guardianship and Conservatorship
  • Other 2
    • Adoption Law
    • Interstate Child Custody

Practice Details

  • Payment Information
    Payment & Cost Features
    Fixed hourly rates
    Accepted Credit Cards
    MasterCard
    Visa
  • Firm Information
    Position
    Attorney
    Firm Name
    Donnelly & Evans, LLP
  • Representative Cases & Transactions
    Cases
    In Re Charlotte D. (2009) Cal.4th
    Adoption of Michael H. (1995) 10 Cal.4th 1043
    In Re Kyle F. (2003) 112 Cal.App.4th 538
    Applegate v. Ota (1983) 146 Cal.App.3d 702.

Experience

  • Bar Admission & Memberships
    Admissions
    1977, California
    1978, U.S. District Court, Central District of California
    1987, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
    Memberships
    State Bar of California, 1977-present
    Santa Barbara County Bar Association
    Christian Legal Society (Chairman, Adoption Practice Section, 2007-present)
    American Academy of Adoption Attorneys (Chairman, Ethics Committee, 1990-1992)
    Academy of California Adoption Lawyers (President, 1993
    Chairman, Ethics Committee, 1997-present). Fellow: Fellow, Academy of California Adoption Lawyers (President, 1993, Ethics Committee Chairman, 1997-present)
    Fellow (and Charter Member) American Academy of Adoption Attorneys (Ethics Committee Chairman, 1980-1982).
  • Education & Certifications
    Law School
    Loyola University of Los Angeles
    Class of 1977
    J.D.
    Other Education
    Westmont College
    Class of 1974
    B.A.
    cum laude
  • Personal Details & History
    Age
    Born in 1952
    Pasadena, California, September 28, 1952
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