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Christopher W. Dumm

The Law Firm of Christopher W. Dumm

Christopher W. Dumm

The Law Firm of Christopher W. Dumm

Christopher W. Dumm

The Law Firm of Christopher W. Dumm

Chris is a counselor-at-law with his practice focused on estate planning, elder law, business and tax planning, and wealth protection. He received his B.S. degree in Business Administration at the University of Missouri-Columbia after completing a double major in Finance and Economics. Chris earned his Juris Doctorate (J.D.) from Regent University School of Law in Virginia Beach, VA, in 1994. His bar memberships include Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, Texas, and Virginia. He is a founding member of the Midwest Estate and Financial Planning Institute and is also a member of Wealth Counsel, Elder Counsel, and the e.Planners Educational Alliance. He is an active participant in the Missouri-Kansas Forum of Estate Planning Attorneys, the Southwest Missouri Estate Planning Council, and the Planned Giving Council of the Four States. Chris is an adjunct professor at Missouri Southern State University and a frequent lecturer at educational events for attorneys, accountants, and other professionals.  He is called on to speak about estate, elder law, business & tax planning, business succession, retirement planning, planned charitable giving strategies, and family-wealth protection for the general public and insurance, financial, accounting, and legal profession.

Firm Description

The Law Office of Christopher W. Dumm can assist you or your aging loved one in Elder Law services, including:

  • Long-Term Care Planning
  • Medicaid Qualification Planning
  • Medicaid Crisis Planning
  • Veterans Planning for Long-Term Care
  • Special Needs Planning
  • Guardianships and Conservators

As we age, we face several challenges. It can be overwhelming and difficult to deal with the cost of care for aging seniors in Missouri. Elder planning is vital if you want to properly prepare for you or a loved one’s future care. The earlier you establish a plan, the more options you will have for elderly care. Procrastinating on elder law planning may result in problematic outcomes that drain your finances and/or lead to being unable to make your own choices in the future.

Hours

Day From To
Monday 8:00 AM 5:30 PM
Tuesday 8:00 AM 5:30 PM
Wednesday 8:00 AM 5:30 PM
Thursday 8:00 AM 5:30 PM

Cost

What Is an Elder Law Attorney?

Main Office

4000 S. Range Line Road
Joplin, MO 64804

By Appointment Only
3816 S. Greystone Court
Springfield, MO 65804

By Appointment Only
1202 NE Mc Clain Rd. Bld 7
Bentonville, AR 72712

On the web

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Social Media


Medicaid 101
What Medicaid Covers

In addition to nursing home care, Medicaid may cover home care and some care in an assisted living facility. Coverage in your state may depend on waivers of federal rules.

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How to Qualify for Medicaid

To be eligible for Medicaid long-term care, recipients must have limited incomes and no more than $2,000 (in most states). Special rules apply for the home and other assets.

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Medicaid’s Protections for Spouses

Spouses of Medicaid nursing home residents have special protections to keep them from becoming impoverished.

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What Medicaid Covers

In addition to nursing home care, Medicaid may cover home care and some care in an assisted living facility. Coverage in your state may depend on waivers of federal rules.

READ MORE
How to Qualify for Medicaid

To be eligible for Medicaid long-term care, recipients must have limited incomes and no more than $2,000 (in most states). Special rules apply for the home and other assets.

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Medicaid’s Protections for Spouses

Spouses of Medicaid nursing home residents have special protections to keep them from becoming impoverished.

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Medicaid Planning Strategies

Careful planning for potentially devastating long-term care costs can help protect your estate, whether for your spouse or for your children.

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Estate Recovery: Can Medicaid Take My House After I’m Gone?

If steps aren't taken to protect the Medicaid recipient's house from the state’s attempts to recover benefits paid, the house may need to be sold.

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Help Qualifying and Paying for Medicaid, Or Avoiding Nursing Home Care

There are ways to handle excess income or assets and still qualify for Medicaid long-term care, and programs that deliver care at home rather than in a nursing home.

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Are Adult Children Responsible for Their Parents’ Care?

Most states have laws on the books making adult children responsible if their parents can't afford to take care of themselves.

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Applying for Medicaid

Applying for Medicaid is a highly technical and complex process, and bad advice can actually make it more difficult to qualify for benefits.

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Alternatives to Medicaid

Medicare's coverage of nursing home care is quite limited. For those who can afford it and who can qualify for coverage, long-term care insurance is the best alternative to Medicaid.

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ElderLaw 101
Estate Planning

Distinguish the key concepts in estate planning, including the will, the trust, probate, the power of attorney, and how to avoid estate taxes.

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Grandchildren

Learn about grandparents’ visitation rights and how to avoid tax and public benefit issues when making gifts to grandchildren.

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Guardianship/Conservatorship

Understand when and how a court appoints a guardian or conservator for an adult who becomes incapacitated, and how to avoid guardianship.

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Health Care Decisions

We need to plan for the possibility that we will become unable to make our own medical decisions. This may take the form of a health care proxy, a medical directive, a living will, or a combination of these.

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Estate Planning

Distinguish the key concepts in estate planning, including the will, the trust, probate, the power of attorney, and how to avoid estate taxes.

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Grandchildren

Learn about grandparents’ visitation rights and how to avoid tax and public benefit issues when making gifts to grandchildren.

READ MORE
Guardianship/Conservatorship

Understand when and how a court appoints a guardian or conservator for an adult who becomes incapacitated, and how to avoid guardianship.

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Health Care Decisions

We need to plan for the possibility that we will become unable to make our own medical decisions. This may take the form of a health care proxy, a medical directive, a living will, or a combination of these.

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Long-Term Care Insurance

Understand the ins and outs of insurance to cover the high cost of nursing home care, including when to buy it, how much to buy, and which spouse should get the coverage.

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Medicare

Learn who qualifies for Medicare, what the program covers, all about Medicare Advantage, and how to supplement Medicare’s coverage.

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Retirement Planning

We explain the five phases of retirement planning, the difference between a 401(k) and an IRA, types of investments, asset diversification, the required minimum distribution rules, and more.

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Senior Living

Find out how to choose a nursing home or assisted living facility, when to fight a discharge, the rights of nursing home residents, all about reverse mortgages, and more.

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Social Security

Get a solid grounding in Social Security, including who is eligible, how to apply, spousal benefits, the taxation of benefits, how work affects payments, and SSDI and SSI.

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Special Needs Planning

Learn how a special needs trust can preserve assets for a person with disabilities without jeopardizing Medicaid and SSI, and how to plan for when caregivers are gone.

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Veterans Benefits

Explore benefits for older veterans, including the VA’s disability pension benefit, aid and attendance, and long-term care coverage for veterans and surviving spouses.

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