
Emily A. Donaldson
Lawrence Office (785) 843-0811
Topeka Office (785) 408-8000
Areas of Practice
- Elder Law, including long-term care and disability planning
- Medicaid and VA benefits planning
- Estate Planning (Wills & Trust)
- Estate and Trust Administration
- Guardianship and Conservatorship
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.
Listed in:
The Best Lawyers in America©, 2014-present
Super Lawyers, Missouri & Kansas, 2015-present
Recipient:
Estate Planning Society Estate Planning Prize (second place – non-tax category), University of Missouri – Kansas City
John Regan Elder Law Fellowship, City University of New York School of Law
Member:
Kansas Bar Association, Member KBA Professional Ethics Panel
Kansas Women’s Attorney Association
Leadership Lawrence Class of 2006
National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA)
Womens’ Attorneys Association of Topeka
Topeka Bar Association
Douglas County Bar AssociationThe Best Lawyers in America©, 2005-present
- Publications
- Author, Annual Elder Law Update, Kansas Bar Association, 2016
- Co-Author, Bankruptcy Issues for the Elderly, Elder Law Advisory (Thomson/West, Rochester, New York), October 2010, Number 236 at 1
- Co-Editor, Long-Term Care Handbook, Kansas Bar Association, 2009
- Author, Getting Admitted and Staying There: Nursing Facility Admission Practices, Elder Law Advisory (Thomson/West, Rochester, New York), April 2008, Number 206 at 1
- Author, Filial Responsibility Laws: Requiring Children to Support Aging Parents, Elder Law Advisory (Thomson/West, Rochester/New York), February 2007, Number 192 at 1
- Author, An Alternate Source of Payment for Long-Term Care: Lawful Third Party Guarantees, Elder Law Advisory (Thomson/West, Rochester, New York), September 2006, Number 187 at 1
- Author, Advanced Directives: What Direction Does Kansas Allow?, The Journal of the Kansas Bar Association,
March 2006, Volume 75, No. 3