Donald R. (Dick) Donovan is a native of Atlanta who was
admitted to the practice of law in 1979, and located his offices in the
Douglas, Cobb and Paulding County area in 1981. Dick practices in most all
north Georgia counties, including, in addition to those listed above,
Haralson, Polk, Floyd, Carroll, Coweta, Fulton, DeKalb, Bartow and Cherokee
Counties; he has tried cases in more than twenty-five counties in Georgia
and in three other states. Dick is admitted to all the several courts in
Georgia, including city courts, state courts (Magistrate, State and
Superior), the United States District Court for the Northern District of
Georgia and the United States Courts of Appeals for the Fifth, Eighth and
Eleventh Circuits. Dick has argued before the Georgia Court of Appeals and
the Supreme Court of Georgia. He has been admitted pro hac vice in U.
S. District Courts in Alabama, Florida and Minnesota.
Varied legal and mediation services are offered in our
offices, and we invite your inquiry by e-mail to drdlaw@ix.netcom.com. We
appreciate the opportunity to help you with your legal problem.
Criminal: Criminal defense is emphasized in the
Law
Offices of Donald R. Donovan, based in part on Dick’s nearly
twelve years in public and private law enforcement, and his training in
criminal investigation. His trial experiences range from a dog-at-large case
in magistrate’s court, DUI cases in city and state courts, to murder
trials in state courts and major felony trials in United States District
(federal) court. Dick has been a member of the Georgia Association of
Criminal Defense Lawyers since 1983.
Civil: In addition to family law cases, we also
handle personal injury cases and other cases which involve the filing of a
lawsuit in any of the several courts in which we practice. Dick is a
litigator, or
trial lawyer, specializing in jury and non-jury trials.
We also handle contracts, wills, powers-of-attorney, and other civil
matters. We do
not handle Worker’s Compensation, Social Security
claims, real estate transactions (we do handle litigation involving real
estate, but not
closings), taxes or tax law matters, or bankruptcy.
These are administrative or specialized areas, and we will be happy to refer
you to an associate of ours or another law office to handle these matters.
Domestic: Family law is the other major area of
concentration in the
Law Offices of Donald R. Donovan. Divorce,
adoption, custody cases, child support modification and recovery, motions
for contempt, Family violence and petitions for Temporary Protective Orders,
as well as representation in Juvenile Courts are all part of the practice of
Family Law. Divorces, both uncontested and contested, comprise the majority
of the non-criminal matters handled in the office, with divorce cases now
numbering more than a thousand files.
Mediation: Dick was trained and qualified as a
mediator in 1992, and has been a listed resource for mediation in Cobb,
Douglas and Paulding counties since the inception of their mediation
programs. Dick is registered as a neutral with the Georgia Supreme Court,
and is available for mediation services in any metro county. Mediation is a
method of dispute resolution which facilitates settlement, and is a very
effective method of handling and resolving controversy.
Fees: Criminal and Domestic matters, as well as
other civil matters, are handled on a fee-paid basis, usually requiring a
retainer fee to be paid before work is begun. A retainer is a sum paid to
"retain" a lawyer’s services. There may be, and usually is, an
additional amount to be paid, usually at the conclusion of the case. Some
criminal matters (e.g., DUI) are handled on a flat fee basis. Personal
injury cases are handled on a contingency basis, which means no fee or
retainer is paid (clients are responsible for expenses such as filing fees)
but rather that we retain a portion of the amount recovered as the fee.
Discussions about fees and questions about fees are always appropriate; it
is important for any client to know what and when he is to pay for legal
representation.
Office: Our office is located in downtown Douglasville,
Georgia, at 8440 Courthouse Square East, across from the old Douglas County
Courthouse. Office hours are 9:00 A.M. until 5:00 P.M. Monday through
Friday. Helen Rutherford is Dick’s secretary and personal assistant, and
handles all schedules all appointments and keeps track of the trial and
hearing calendar. She frequently returns calls with information for clients,
and is always more than happy to help.
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8440 Courthouse Square East
Douglasville, Georgia, 30134
PHONE: (770) 947-3540 FAX: (770) 947-0575
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