Douglas Russell Donnelly

Doug is extremely knowledgable, experienced, and (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 just how hard it is to even find a lawyer who is willing to navigate the very particular & comp...licated 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 to speak of. 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. I knew from our previous interactions that 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 half a year to figure out on my own. Not only that, but when I was overwhelmed, confused, etc by a new development, Doug always had seen it before and was able to confidently navigate it while keeping me feeling informed and involved, I highly recommend reaching out to Doug for any guardianship or adoption related services.

It's somewhat difficult to put into words how thankful I am that Doug was our lawyer. He knows the law inside and out and was willing to explain the details to both us and our birth mother in language that we could understand. He guided us through the process ensuring we completed all of the paperw...ork correctly and timely. Doug knows how emotionally challenging the process is to begin with while dealing with a legal process that is daunting and sometimes overwhelming. This provided incredible comfort to both of our families. He gave expert tips that he has learned throughout his 40+ years in this field. After a difficult time, Doug provided actionable guidance that I think made all the difference in our case. Additionally, even though there aren't many issues that he hasn't faced already, we had a challenge that he hadn't come across. He researched and because of his knowledge of the court systems was able to draft and have approved a special document that mitigated our issue. He is truly exceptional, and I am so thankful he was our attorney! I would recommend him to anyone seeking a knowledgeable attorney that will do whatever he can to make an adoption as seamless as possible.

i had a very unique case, and Doug was extremely helpful, knowledgeable and responsive. I honestly can’t express my gratitude to him enough. I was referred to him by my previous custody attorney that didn’t deal with adoptions or appeals. He is very caring and wants to do what is best for the child, ...he helped us win our case and kept us reassured during the process. Doug is definitely not the cheapest attorney, but he’s worth every penny! I would hire him again in a heartbeat, and would definitely recommend him.

We hired Mr. Donnelly after another local law firm botched our termination and adoption cases. Our cases were extremely complex already and then we had to start over. Mr. Donnelly is first and foremost professional but he’s an expert in his field. He knows the law and he’s an expert strategist. M...r. Donnelly stands up for what is right and with his expert knowledge in family law and especially parental termination and adoption, we were always in good hands. Also, Mr. Donnelly is a highly skilled and persuasive writer. This was really important to us. All briefs and paperwork were done with excellence and with no typos. Mr. Donnelly, we are forever grateful. It was a tough case and he was the best lawyer hands down.

I hired Mr. Donnelly to represent me in adopting a child. Without exception he was responsive and helpful in understanding and navigating this potentially complicated process. He helped make the process clear and we were successful in starting a family. I found his knowledge base both deep and wide ...and I consider him a valued and trusted legal resource. I highly recommend him to anyone seeking representation in a private adoption.