Sherri Fae Donovan

Sherri Fae Donovan

4.3
Rating: 9.8

Licensed for 39 years

Divorce and separation Lawyer at New York, NY
Practice Areas: Divorce & Separation, Marriage & Prenuptials, Family ... +2 more

305 Broadway, Suite 555, New York, NY

About Sherri

Biography

Practice Areas

Fees and Rates

We have not found any cost information for this lawyer


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Licenses

Licensed in New York for 39 years

State: New York

Acquired: 1986

Currently Registered

No misconduct found

Location

Sherri Donovan & Associates, P.C. & The Family Center

305 Broadway, Suite 555, New York, NY, 10007

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Sherri Fae Donovan's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

4.3 /5.0

22 Client Reviews

Showing 1 - 4 of 4 reviews | General Knowledge

Posted by anonymous | November 20, 2014 | Divorce & Separation

Caring Professional

I had the great privilege of hiring Sherri Donovan as my divorce mediator. I say privilege because it is not every day one finds a caring, compassionate and expert professional in an emotionally devastating time. I wanted a fair settlement honoring myself and the years spent with my husband. She was... extremely knowledgeable, concise, explained everything clearly and didn’t waste time. She’s also a skilled negotiator. Going well beyond the call of duty, she accommodated our international schedules. Divorce is not easy, but she made it bearable and I am happy with the outcome. As far as my ex-husband’s viewpoint, well, you’d have to ask him.

Posted by anonymous | June 25, 2014 | Lawsuits & Disputes

Not recommended

I chose Ms. Donovan from a number of lawyers I interviewed because I intended to go to trial. I qualify for a court appointed attorney but with support of friends and family, I scraped together the money to hire someone I felt would better represent me in court in a highly contentious case. When I f...irst met with her, for a paid consultation, she assured me I had a case and that she would be happy to represent me at trial. I paid my fee upfront. Long story short, several months later on the day of trial when I arrived at the courthouse, Ms. Donovan informed me that she highly recommended a settlement. I had 15 minutes to make up my mind on a life-changing decision. I took her advice. In retrospect, I should not have and especially without having time to consider all the consequences of such a decision. Furthermore, the foundation of her argument for why I should not go to trial was faulty in that she did not know the facts nor did she ask me. My complaint is that Ms. Donovan should not have taken my money if she was not willing to try the case to begin with. Her client management tactics in leaving me no time, and other tactics I wont even refer to here, were unprofessional, unethical and did not respect the gravity of the decision at hand. Given she knew all the facts upfront and nothing had materially changed, I believe Ms. Donovan grossly negligent in handling my case. I am in the process of pursuing arbitration against Ms. Donovan and I intend to recover fees. But they will not begin to recover the emotional distress and the possible loss of my child that Ms. Donovan has subjected me to. I cannot with any conscience recommend Ms. Donovan as an attorney.

Sherri Donovan

Replied last June 18, 2014

The facts are not correct above. But due to ethical considerations, I cannot respond in any detail

Posted by anonymous | October 24, 2012 | Family

Sherri Donovan

Ms. Sherri Donovan has over 25 years of experience in the matrimonial field and is very knowledgeable of how the court system works in the Metropolitan area. She will do anything necessary for her client to provide the best representation possible.

Posted by anonymous | July 03, 2012

she protected my daughter and I will always be grateful to her

Sherri is very smart, insightful and highly knowledgeable. She will fight tenanciously for her client and I can't recommend her highly enough.

See All Client Reviews

Sherri Fae Donovan's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse Sherri
Saba Mekbeb headshot
Saba Mekbeb

Divorce and separation lawyer | Aug 04

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Sherri Donovan is a tenacious and a highly regarded Family Law attorney with many years of experience in New York. I first met Sherri Donovan after attending one of her continuing legal education seminars she conducts regularly for the New York City Bar for New York licensed attorneys. Sherri is a fierce advocate for her family law clients and is very mindful of the impact family litigation has on the family and children. When representing clients, Sherri uses her extensive family law experience and develops holistic legal solution for her clients. I highly recommend Sherri to clients who need a Family law attorney in New York."

Somair Syed Alam headshot
Somair Alam

Family lawyer | Feb 13

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Very knowledgeable family law attorney, dedicated to her clients' success."

Nataliya I. Gavlin headshot
Nataliya Gavlin

Divorce and separation lawyer | Dec 29

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. Excellent attorney with a great level of professionalism and experience."

Ingrid Gherman headshot
Ingrid Gherman

Child custody lawyer | Dec 03

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. She is an excellent litigator and cares deeply about her clients."

Deborah G. Fiss headshot
Deborah Fiss

Divorce and separation lawyer | Jul 10

Relationship: Opposing Counsel on matter

"Sherri is a caring, knowledgeable and formidable adversary. While she has her client's best interests as her first priority, she is trustworthy and does her best to conclude a case in a reasonable manner with opposing counsel if feasible."

Mark Irwin Plaine headshot
Mark Plaine

Divorce and separation lawyer | Jun 03

Relationship: Opposing Counsel on matter

"I endorse this lawyer."

Alita P. McKinnon headshot
Alita McKinnon

Unknown lawyer | Apr 22

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Lawrence Noah Rothbart headshot
Lawrence Rothbart

Divorce and separation lawyer | Dec 18

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Shari Ruth Gordon Esq. headshot
Shari Gordon

Divorce and separation lawyer | Dec 10

Relationship: Opposing Counsel on matter

"Sherri is a compassionate woman who genuinely cares about her clients. She has a modern take on life. Smart and a pleasure to work with."

Richard Mizrack headshot
Richard Mizrack

Family lawyer | Nov 12

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"I am very pleased to endorse Sherri Donovan. We have worked together on a complex matter. I have recommended her and the client was most pleased with her attention and results."

Daniel Evan Clement headshot
Daniel Clement

Divorce and separation lawyer | Nov 08

Relationship: Opposing Counsel on matter

"Sherri was my adversary in a bitterly contested case and worked effectively with me to find a way to amicably resolve the matter."

Steven Jay Mandel headshot
Steven Mandel

Divorce and separation lawyer | Aug 29

Relationship: Opposing Counsel on matter

"I endorse this lawyer. Sherri and I were involved in a hotly contested, emotionally charged, high net worth matter that never would have been resolved without her knowledge and expertise. Thanks Sherri!"

View All Endorsements
Deborah G. Fiss headshot
Deborah Fiss

Family lawyer

Daniel Evan Clement headshot
Daniel Clement

Family lawyer

Experience

Rating:  9.8 (Superb)

Honors

2018

Super Lawyer, SuperLawyers

2018

AV Preeminent Rated, Martindale-Hubbell

2017

Top 10 Attorneys, National Academy Of Family Law Attorneys

2012

Sylvia B. Garland Award, New York City Bar Association

2012

Certified Mediator, New York State Bar Association

2012

Parent Coordinator, New York State Bar Association

N/A

Reginald Heber Smith Fellowship,

Work Experience

1988 - Present

President, Sherri Donovan & Associates PC

2011 - 2018

Professor of Family Law, Adelphi University

2010 - 2018

Neutral Evaluator, State Bar of New York

Associations

2009 - Present

Art Helping Life

President

1995 - Present

United States Supreme Court

Member

1987 - Present

New York State Bar Association

Member

1987 - Present

New York County Lawyers' Association

Member

1987 - Present

New York County Bar Association

Member

Education

1985

New York Law School

JD - Juris Doctor

1982

London School of Economics and Political Science

1978

Bennington College

BA - Bachelor of Arts

Speaking Engagements

2012

LawLine CLE Course

The History of Federal and State Laws Affecting Same-Sex Couples

2012

LawLine CLE Course

Thorny Issues in International Divorce

2012

LawLine CLE Course

Special Needs Children and Divorce

2012

Law Review CLE

Intro to Divorce Law

2012

Bridge the Gap CLE

Matrimonial Trial Preparation and Strategy

Publications

2001

Hit Him Where it Hurts--the take-no-prisoners guide to divorce Hit Him Where it Hurts--the take-no-prisoners guide to divorce

Languages

English

Activity

Avvo Rating

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What determines Avvo Rating?
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  • Discipline 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