By Audrey Bailey
Zionsville resident Donna J. Bays was recently recognized for excellence in the area of family law at the Indiana State Bar Association’s annual meeting, where she received the Gale Phelps award.
Bays has been practicing law for more than 25 years and since 2011 has run Bays Family Law in Zionsville, alongside her daughter, Jennifer Bays Beinart.
“(Receiving the award) really touched my heart, because I knew Gale Phelps, personally,” Bays said. “In fact, she was my divorce lawyer when I got divorced. So, she was the epitome of what a family lawyer should be like. … She did incredible things to make divorce law more professional throughout the state of Indiana.”
Bays first received her undergraduate degree from Ball State University where she majored in political science and journalism. After working as a reporter for The Anderson Herald, she decided to attend Indiana University, where she received her law degree from the Indiana University McKinney School of Law.
As a Certified Family Law Specialist, Bays focuses on a range of family mattersthat include divorce, child custody, parenting time, paternity, parenting coordination, prenuptial agreements and cohabitation and domestic partnerships.
“When I started helping those people, all the sudden I realized, that’s why I went to law school, to make a difference in the lives of people who are facing something that’s really tough for them,” Bays said.
And, to help with the most difficult family matters, Bays has a small, fluffy therapy dog named Mordecai, there by her side. He sits in when needed and helps families who are going through difficult life events.
“He can sense when they’re emotional, and he walks up right before they’re about to cry and just leans in. He’s just the sweetest thing,” Bays said. “And, it’s really awesome the way I can use him in the practice.”
Bays said she cannot imagine doing anything else with her life. She loves what she does, and plans on continuing for as long as possible.
“I don’t envision retiring down the road,” she said. “I enjoy what I do so much that I don’t want to give it up unless I have to.”
