Goodwillie and David Robertson, who was then a teammate of Goodwillie, were accused of committing rape in January 2011. Goodwillie was charged with rape, but the Scottish legal authorities decided not pursue a criminal prosecution. The complainer, Denise Clair, instead took civil action against Goodwillie and Robertson, whom the judge ruled to be rapists, ordering them to pay £100,000 in compensation. The civil case was judged on the balance of probabilities and did not need corroboration of evidence, unlike in a Scottish criminal case. Goodwillie left his club, Plymouth Argyle, soon after the case concluded. A club statement said that Goodwillie had asked to leave as he was considering an appeal. In November 2017, three appeal judges at the Court of Session upheld the ruling.