Donovan, Laura

Kathleen Donelli concentrates her practice in the areas of Appellate Practice, Business Litigation, Collaborative Law and Matrimonial & Family Law. In 1996, Kathleen won a landmark New York State Court of Appeals custody decision in Tropea v. Tropea, 87 N.Y.2d 727, 665 N.E.2d 145, 642 N.Y.S.2d 575 (1996). Tropea established that courts should determine if a custodial parent should be permitted to relocate with a child based on the "best interest" of the child. Kathleen frequently lectures on a variety of matrimonial and family law issues. Kathleen is also a founding member of the Association of Collaborative Lawyers of Rockland/Westchester, dedicated to resolving matrimonial and custody disputes without court intervention.

Kathleen is a Past President of the Westchester Women's Bar Association and the White Plains Bar Association. She is the Co-Chair of the Westchester Women's Bar Association's Matrimonial Committee. She is also a Member of the Grievance Committee for the Ninth Judicial District and a Co-Chair of the Westchester County Bar Association's Grievance Committee.

Kathleen has also been recognized as a New York Super Lawyer in the areas of Family Law/Collaborative/Appellate

Areas of Experience

• Advice on and preparation of Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements
• Preparation of all documents incident to an action for divorce, child custody (including child relocation disputes) and related matters
• Advice and negotiations regarding prospective settlements of contested matters, including counseling the client on tax consequences of any settlement, for which the attorneys in our Taxation group are available to offer assistance.
• Separation Agreements, Stipulations of Settlement and Uncontested Default Divorces for clients at all income and asset levels.
• Litigating all aspects of Family Court Proceedings and Divorce Actions, including Orders of Protection, Paternity Disputes, Temporary Support Awards, Restraining Orders, Domestic Violence issues, Exclusive Occupancy of the Marital Residence, Maintenance, Child Support, Equitable Distribution of Marital Property and Establishing Separate Property Claims.
• Alternative Dispute Resolutions, including collaborative law, mediation and arbitration and fee dispute arbitration.
• Trials and Appeals of child custody and child relocation disputes, including Tropea, the case which established the prevailing law in New York on child relocation.

Significant Matters and Cases

Kathleen has litigated and settled many different types of cases in many different courts. Click at representative matters for a description of some of Kathleen's work. Click at client testimonials to see what our client say about our Matrimonial & Family Law attorneys.

Journals, Publications and Outlines

Kathleen has been published in numerous professional journals. She has written and submitted outlines for numerous Continuous Legal Education programs. Click at publications for a description of some of these written materials.