Goranson Bain Ausley PLLC

39 Best Lawyers awards

Goranson Bain Ausley PLLC logo

Awarded Practice Areas

Collaborative Law: Family Law Family Law

Biography

“Divorce is a complex and emotional process; I realize that clients need a strong advocate with a level head who will listen attentively and allow them to vent, process and heal.” — Esther R. Donald

Esther Donald is an excellent resource in all areas of family law and particularly accomplished in cases where children are involved. A parent and stepparent herself, she mixes her life experiences with logic, patience and persuasion to move even the most emotional cases toward a favorable and cost-effective resolution.

Esther listens closely and asks the right questions. This helps her identify what a client really needs to accomplish and how to tackle it. Her background in commercial litigation helps maximize her client’s success in property division. And her insistence on putting the children first keeps her clients focused on the most important issues in custody disputes. Esther’s skill set has benefited a wide range of clients — from the teenage basketball star served with a paternity case, to the stay-home mom facing an unwanted divorce, to the business executive trying to protect retirement assets.
Goranson Bain Ausley PLLC

39 Best Lawyers awards

Goranson Bain Ausley PLLC logo

Overview

  • The University of Texas, J.D., graduated 1988
  • The University of Texas, BA, graduated 1985

  • Texas, 1988

  • Annette Stewart Inn of Court - Member
  • Collaborative Divorce Texas - Member
  • Dallas Bar Association, Collaborative Law Section - Member
  • Dallas Bar Association, Collaborative Law Section - Vice Chair, 2018 – 2019
  • Texas Family Law Foundation - Member
  • Collin County Bar Association - Member
  • Curt B. Henderson American Inn of Court - Member
  • Dallas Bar Association- Family Law Section - Member
  • State Bar of Texas- Family Law Section - Member
  • Texas, 1988
  • Annette Stewart Inn of Court - Member
  • Collaborative Divorce Texas - Member
  • Dallas Bar Association, Collaborative Law Section - Member
  • Dallas Bar Association, Collaborative Law Section - Vice Chair, 2018 – 2019
  • Texas Family Law Foundation - Member
  • Collin County Bar Association - Member
  • Curt B. Henderson American Inn of Court - Member
  • Dallas Bar Association- Family Law Section - Member
  • State Bar of Texas- Family Law Section - Member
  • The University of Texas, J.D., graduated 1988
  • The University of Texas, BA, graduated 1985

Client Testimonials

Awards & Focus

Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2026 for work in:
  • Collaborative Law: Family Law
  • Family Law
Awards:
  • Best Lawyers in Dallas, D Magazine, 2025

  • Selected to the Texas Super Lawyers list, Thomson Reuters, 2016 – 2024

Additional Information

  • Areas of Practice
  • Alimony & Maintenance
  • Asset and Wealth Identification & Valuation
  • Child Custody & Visitation
  • Child Support
  • Complex Property Division
  • Contempt & Enforcement
  • CPS Cases
  • Divorce
  • Family Law
  • Grandparent’s Rights
  • Mediation
  • Modifications
  • Paternity
  • Post-Judgment Modifications and Enforcement
  • Premarital & Post-marital Agreements
  • Property Division
  • Termination & Step-Parent Adoption

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