Attorneys

Emily A. Donaldson has been practicing in the areas of elder law and estate planning for over fifteen years, has been designated by the National Elder Law Foundation as a Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA), and holds an advanced degree in Estate Planning (LL.M.). Her practice consists of advising clients on the complex issues encountered in long-term care planning, particularly access to long-term care Medicaid and Veterans’ benefits. Emily is an accredited attorney with the Veterans Administration. In addition, she assists clients with designing and structuring their estate plans to meet their needs and goals, whether it be preserving the family farm/business or planning for special needs. She has counseled numerous individuals and families with special needs children through the complex legal and financial issues raised by the impairment. These issues often require the appointment of a guardian and conservator, as well as special needs trust creation and administration. Emily was selected as a member of the Special Needs Alliance, an invitation-only, national non-profit collective of leading disability and public benefits attorneys. She is an adjunct professor at Washburn University School of Law teaching the Elder Law course, and is a frequent author and speaker on issues affecting the aged and individuals with disabilities.

Emily spends her spare time volunteering with community activities and professional associations. She has served as the President of the Kansas Bar Association’s Elder Law Section since 2010, and as the President of the Kansas chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (www.naela.org) from 2011–2014. She is a current member of the Board of Directors for ARCare, Inc. (www.arcare.org), a not-for-profit organization designed to provide services to disabled individuals and their families, including administration of a pooled trust for the benefit of disabled individuals with special needs. Emily also serves on the Board of Directors for the non-profit Visiting Nurses Association, the first home health care and hospice provider in Douglas County.