Alishia Woodard McDonald

Alishia Woodard McDonald

also known as A. McDonald Law Office

4.5
Rating: 7.2

Licensed for 26 years

Criminal defense Lawyer at Gainesville, FL
Practice Areas: Criminal Defense, Family, Personal Injury ... +2 more

309 NE 1st Street, Gainesville, FL

About Alishia

Biography

Practice Areas

5

Practice Areas

Criminal Defense 40%

A. McDonald Law Office handles all areas of state criminal defense, including (although not limited to): white collar crime, all types of criminal fraud, aggravated assault and battery, sexual assault and battery, 10-20-Life crimes, Habitual Felony Offender / Habitual Violent Felony Offender offenses, Driving While License Suspended - felony, felony murder, theft crimes, robbery, internet sex crimes, trafficking, narcotics violations, probation violations, and misdemeanors.

40%
Family 30%

A. McDonald Law Office handles all aspects of dissolution of marriage, modification, and family law proceedings, including: alimony, child support, time sharing and parenting, custody by extended family and relatives, equitable distribution, prenuptial and martial settlement and separation agreements, paternity establishment and disestablishment, domestic violence injunction, and contempt and enforcement actions.

30%
Personal Injury 20%

While insurance companies are obligated to pay for medical costs and damages for covered accidents, they will try to pay as little as possible. Attorney McDonald will help you get what is deserved.

20%
Foreclosure 5%

A. McDonald Law Office provides aggressive legal representation against mortgage foreclosure that any homeowner facing mortgage foreclosure can afford. As a former contested litigation supervision attorney for the banking and mortgage foreclosure industry, Attorney Alishia W. McDonald knows first hand the pitfalls and mistakes often made by homeowners facing mortgage foreclosure.

5%
Probate 5%

A. McDonald Law Office provides legal representation for both formal and summary administration probate matters in the state of Florida.

5%

Fees and Rates

Cost

Free Consultation

$0 first 15 minutes


Payment Methods

  • Cash
  • Check
  • Credit Card

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Licenses

Licensed in Florida for 26 years

State: Florida

Acquired: 2000

Member in Good Standing

No misconduct found

Location

A. McDonald Law Office

309 NE 1st Street, Gainesville, FL, 32601

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Alishia Woodard McDonald's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

4.5 /5.0

40 Client Reviews

Filter Avvo Reviews (40) Refine reviews to match your needs. Use the filters to quickly surface reviews that align with your case or priorities.

Showing 1 - 5 of 6 reviews | Practice Area Knowledge

Posted by GR Craw | December 10, 2025 | Criminal Defense

Exceptional Legal Advice

Attorney McDonald is a powerful litigator who has a no nonsense approach engaging the criminal/civil justice systems. Her expertise in navigating cases through the courts is exceptional.

Posted by Aileen | December 09, 2025 | Hired Attorney | Family

Fights for your family like her own.

I have been going through an extremely difficult paternity case and Attorney McDonald was able to navigate my family and I through it with ease. She is extremely kind, professional, supportive, and does what’s best for her clients. She didn’t lie to us or sell us a dream she was honest about what to ...expect the entire process. She fought for my family as if it were her own. If you are looking for a lawyer she is who you want on your side.

Posted by Tabring | June 19, 2024 | Hired Attorney | Child Custody

The Lee Family

My son entered this with so much fear, because he didn’t know his rights as a father. After some research, I scheduled the consultation, we met with Ms Alishia and I knew immediately that she was my son’s lawyer. Ms Alishia was patient with us, thoroughly explained his rights as a father, answered... all of our questions and listened to us vent and express our concerns. She was very informative and always professional, even at times when we became impatient. There was never a day or time that we couldn’t contact and communicate with her, she was always available and gave her undivided attention to the case. My son felt heard! I am truly grateful to Ms Alishia for her knowledge and expertise and highly recommend her services. In the end my son was granted all of his requests. Through out this process she kept saying “Just stay the course!” I’m so thankful that we did.

Posted by anonymous | April 09, 2022 | Hired Attorney | Divorce & Separation

Mrs. Alishia McDonald is Awesome!

She is just amazing! amazing! amazing! Mrs. McDonald is an incredible attorney period!!!!!! In my search for an attorney, it was very difficult. I hired an attorney paid monies and they quit on me in less than 4 months. I was determined to be represented well in a contested divorce, so I set out... to find the best. I paid endless consultation fees and still felt like no one was interested in my case and I was not about to lose more money. I had several consultations; from free to paid. I met Mrs. McDonald who immediately provided a road map. While the path to success was clear for the divorce, here comes a criminal matter. Mrs. McDonald then became my criminal attorney. I called her and she did not hesitate to represent me. She worked diligently with my family and I. Once again, she brought clarity and presented strong arguments which led to the case being dismissed. More so, while the divorce case was still in motion along with the criminal case, here comes another matter, well yes…sigh…. She now became my attorney representing me in 3 separate cases. Once again, she laid a clear path and advise accordingly. Guest what? Case closed! Victory a second time. Now here I am with my champion at my side in the divorce case. Guess what? Victory again! I got everything I wanted and more. I said all this not just to showcase the number of cases she represented me in but rather triumph. Mrs. McDonald has many skills and strategy that were deployed to make these battles a success. She listens attentively, not just listening to me but in the courtroom. She is caring, supportive, extremely considerate, and very, very, transparent I can’t stress this enough. She is forthright and honest, and I believe this is one of the most admirable qualities I love about her as I value honesty above all. These are just a few noteworthy qualities I found her to have. In addition, she is focused and because of it she can speak against any fabricated story. Mrs. Alishia McDonald, stood with me like a mother would for a daughter. My mom and sister expressed sincere gratitude for all she has done to support me. One of my biggest fears was finding an attorney who will appreciate and understand my cultural values. I felt safe (to open and discuss matters), understood and respected by her. It is without hesitation that I will highly recommend attorney Mrs. McDonald as I’m pleased to be represented by her in all three cases. No matter the battlefield she is competent, honest, sharp and by extension she is my champion! Thank you, attorney Alishia McDonald, for holding my hand when there was no one to hold my hand. I will NEVER forget you. I thank almighty God for leading me too you.

Posted by Alina | December 08, 2021 | Hired Attorney | Lawsuits & Disputes

Relentless

Alishia helped my husband and I have our names changed. It should have been easy, but the courts did not see our case as something serious and therefore Alishia stepped in and communicated with the right people to make it happen. Technically you can change your name without an attorney, but even with...out Covid messing the court system up, I think hireling Alishia to help us made all the difference.

See All Client Reviews

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Experience

Rating:  7.2 (Very Good)

Work Experience

2015 - Present

Attorney / Owner, A. McDonald Law Office

2013 - 2015

Litigation Supervising Attorney, Elizabeth Wellborn, P.A.

2006 - 2013

Attorney / Owner, The Law Office of Alishia W. McDonald

2002 - 2006

Felony Prosecutor, Office of the State Attorney

1998 - 2002

Associate Attorney, Northwest Florida Legal Services, Inc.

Associations

2015 - Present

League of Women Voters

2006 - Present

Association of Trial Lawyers of America

2004 - Present

Florida Association for Women Lawyers

2004 - Present

National Bar Association

2000 - Present

Florida Bar, Criminal Law Section

Education

1998

University of Florida, Fredric G. Levin College of Law

Doctor of Jurisprudence/Juris Doctor

1995

Franklin Pierce University

Bachelor of Arts

Languages

English

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