Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2026 
Scott R. Manuel brings over 30 years of experience practicing in the areas of fiduciary litigation, estate planning, probate, trust and guardianship law to Kembell Woods & Martinsen LLP.
Prior to joining KWM, Scott served as the Probate Commissioner for the Circuit Court of Jackson County, Missouri starting in November 2014 following his initial appointment as the court’s Deputy Probate Commissioner in January 2014. Prior to his appointment to the bench, Scott was a shareholder with the law firm of Humphrey, Farrington and McClain, P.C. in Independence, Missouri, where he practiced law for 24 years. His practice focused primarily in the areas of fiduciary litigation, estate planning, probate, trust and guardianship law. For 14 of those years, he served as court appointed respondent’s counsel on adult guardianships and accepted numerous court appointments in contested probate, trust and guardianship matters pending before the Jackson County Probate Court.
Scott grew up in California and practiced law there for five years before moving to Missouri. He is a 1984 graduate of Golden Gate University School of Law in San Francisco, California. In 1981, he earned bachelor’s degrees in Business Administration and Economics, with honors, from Graceland University in Lamoni, Iowa.
