William Ralph Donaldson

William Ralph Donaldson

4.8
Rating: 7.1

Licensed for 30 years

Family Lawyer at Danbury, CT
Practice Areas: Family, Bankruptcy & Debt, Real Estate, General Practice

65 Main Street, Danbury, CT

About William

Biography

Practice Areas

4

Practice Areas

Family 45%

I serve Husbands and Wives in the pursuit of their uncontested dissolution matters. I further serve to advance the interests of my client in the event of disputes regarding all aspects of dissolution matters (custody, visitation, child support, alimony, division of property and allocation of debts). If you need to consult with me about these matters please contact me at 203-748-2671.

31 years

45%
Bankruptcy and Debt 25%

Primarily a consumer bankruptcy attorney representing debtors. If you would like to know more about your options, the costs and the qualifications for personal bankruptcy please contact me at 203-748-2671.

31 years

25%
Real Estate 20%

I serve clients in the residential market for purchase/sale transactions as well as refinancing of mortgages and home equity loans. Further, I do commercial transactions and commercial financing. Please call me if you need assistance in this regard at 203-748-2671.

31 years

20%
General Practice 10%

Personal injury (auto accidents and other matters), probate services (wills, estates, conservatorships, powers of attorney), Commercial litigation, breach of contract, foreclosure matters, mechanic liens (enforcement and discharge). If you need information regarding these matters, or have a question in general, please call 203-748-2671.

31 years

10%

Fees and Rates

Cost

Free Consultation

$0 first 45 minutes

Hourly Rates

$ 200-350 per hour

Contingency

15%-33%

Retainer

Sometimes


Payment Methods

  • Cash
  • Check
  • Credit Card

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Licenses

Licensed in New York for 30 years

State: New York

Acquired: 1995

Currently Registered

Licensed in Connecticut for 30 years

State: Connecticut

Acquired: 1995

Active

Lawyer disciplined by state licensing authority in 2011

Location

Law Offices of William Ralph Donaldson

65 Main Street, Danbury, CT, 06810-8011

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William Ralph Donaldson's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

4.8 /5.0

40 Client Reviews

Showing 36 - 40 of 40 reviews

Posted by anonymous | September 08, 2008 | Bankruptcy & Debt

Client Review

WILLIAM DONALDSON HANDLED MY BANKRUPTCY. HE WAS COMPASSIONATE AND TRUSTWORTHY AND GUIDED ME THROUGH THE PROCESS. HE AND HIS STAFF ALWAYS KEPT ME INFORMED ABOUT THE CASE. HE WAS ALWAYS AVAILABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AND TO REASSURE ME ABOUT THE CASE. AT TRIAL, HE WAS WELL RESPECTED BY THE COURT AND M...ADE THE PROCEEDING GO SMOOTHLY FOR ME. I WOULD HEARTILY RECOMMEND LAWYER DONALDSON TO ANYONE NEEDING BANKRUPTCY OR SIMILAR LEGAL REPRESENTTATION.

Posted by anonymous | September 08, 2008 | Divorce & Separation

Client Review

Bill handled my divorce case. I would reccomend him to anyone without reservation. He represented me very well. I was always in close contact with him and knew exactly what was going on in my case. We were able to talk about what was best and he worked very hard to see that what we decided was done.

Posted by anonymous | September 08, 2008 | Lawsuits & Disputes

Witty Lawyer

I had to switch lawyers mid case because I moved and my cureent lawyer was not licensed in the state I had moved to. I was hesitant about switching lawyers because I was very happy and comfortable with my current lawyer but Attorney Donaldson put me at ease. He quickly showed me that he was very d...etail oriented, knowledgeable, and very well prepared for our meeting considering most of the work for my case was complete and he was coming in to wrap it up. He very well could have just come in with my file and asked me if I had any questions but he didn't. He methodically went through the various sections of my paperwork, asked intelligent questions and even threw in a few jokes to put me at ease. At my court hearing, he was right there by my side answering all my questions and doing his best to put me at ease while I waited my turn to sit with the judge. When my turn came to present my case, he was very professional and respectful. He had good timing with the judge when making his few well placed interjections. I found out just how well he had prepared my paperwork after listening to the countless other less complete cases that came before me. When you're nervously answering questions from the judge, the last thing you want is to have to stay there any longer than neccissary so Attorney Donaldson's pre court prepardness was very appreciated. I would highly recommend him to anyone that asked for a referral. I was very pleased with his work and his interactions with me.

Posted by anonymous | September 08, 2008 | Litigation

Mr. David E.

While I know his fees are typical, it does seem that with the outcome of civil matters often a crap-shoot, many clients may lean toward the addage, "the only ones getting rich on this is the lawyers." In my case however, Att. Donaldson, and I were at wits-end when a judge ruled against our motion, w...ithout regard to the 13 points to legally be considered, or perhaps with total disregard would be a better way to put it. Still, it was not Att. Donaldson's fault and would/will return to him for future attempts to win this motion. He represented me very well. I was always confident that he knew what he was doing and was always representing me well. His advice and counsel were always well thought out, well prepared and he always seemed concerned that I understand all options well before moving on anything. I never felt pressured to make a decision on which way to go and consequently, I believe it was only my interests and wishes that he took into the court room and not his.

Posted by anonymous | September 08, 2008

Client Review

Attorney Donaldson was very informative and easy to work with. He made my matter much easier to deal with and I would and will utilize him again. Thank you

See All Client Reviews

William Ralph Donaldson's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse William
Matthew C Simon headshot
Matthew Simon

General practice lawyer | Apr 02

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Mr. Donaldson provides insightful, helpful and accurate advice. His knowledge and experience are clearly evident. I endorse this lawyer."

Christopher P Norris headshot
Christopher Norris

Bankruptcy and debt lawyer | Jan 23

Relationship: Co-worker

"I endorse this lawyer. I have had the pleasure of working with Attorney Donaldson for over a decade. His knowledge of the bankrutcy code, numbers and other key areas of law that are involved in a bankruptcy filing makes him a superior advocate for his clients."

Howard M Lewis headshot
Howard Lewis

Bankruptcy and debt lawyer | Jun 18

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

View All Endorsements

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This attorney hasn't created any attorney endorsements recently on Avvo.

Experience

Rating:  7.1 (Very Good)

Professional misconduct

This lawyer was disciplined by a state licensing authority in 2011.

Conditions issued in CT, 2011

updated on 07/12/2012

A condition is a disciplinary order from the Statewide Grievance Committee that an attorney fulfill a condition within a certain time frame. If the attorney does not fulfill a condition in a timely manner, the Superior Court may also impose any condition necessary to protect the public.

Honors

2011

Certificate of Appreciation, Judges of the Danbury Superior Court

Work Experience

2001 - Present

, Donaldson, Kershaw & Norris, LLC

Associations

1995 - Present

Danbury Bar Association

Member

Sample of Legal Cases

Rathblott vs. Rathblott

Created a bright line rule for C.G.S. 46b-81

See More Legal Cases

Education

1995

Touro College - Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center

JD - Juris Doctor

1991

Western Connecticut State University

BS - Bachelor of Science

Languages

English

Activity

Avvo Rating

Our Rating is calculated using information the lawyer has included on their profile in addition to the information we collect from state bar associations and other organizations that license legal professionals. Attorneys who claim their profiles and provide Avvo with more information tend to have a higher rating than those who do not.

What determines Avvo Rating?
  • Experience & background Years licensed, work experience, education
  • Legal community recognition Peer endorsements, associations, awards
  • Legal thought leadership Publications, speaking engagements
  • Discipline
    This lawyer was disciplined by a state licensing authority in 2011
    Disciplinary information may not be comprehensive, or updated. We recommend that you always check a lawyer's disciplinary status with their respective state bar association before hiring them.
Avvo Rating Levels
10.0 - 9.0 Superb8.9 - 8.0 Excellent7.9 - 7.0 Very Good6.9 - 6.0 Good5.9 - 5.0 Average4.9 - 4.0 Concern3.9 - 3.0 Caution2.9 - 2.0 Strong Caution1.9 - 1.0 Extreme Caution