Christopher W. Dumm, J.D., Founder & Principal Attorney, Author at Protecting Wealth

Christopher Dumm reviewing a bank statement with an adult daughter after a parent's death

Bank Accounts and Probate: How to Access Funds After a Loved One Dies

September 8, 2026
Christopher W. Dumm, J.D., Founder & Principal Attorney

Her debit card was declined at the pharmacy, or you called the bank and a very polite person told you he wasn't able to discuss the account with you. The question underneath that is a practical one. Can you get…

Attorney explaining the difference between revocable and irrevocable trusts to a couple

Revocable vs. Irrevocable Trust: How Missouri and Arkansas Families Actually Choose

August 24, 2026
Christopher W. Dumm, J.D., Founder & Principal Attorney

What revocable and irrevocable trusts actually do, what Missouri and Arkansas statutes say about creditor protection, and which one fits your family.

Personal representative reviewing estate paperwork with an attorney

Executor Liability in Missouri and Arkansas: What You’re Personally on the Hook For

August 17, 2026
Christopher W. Dumm, J.D., Founder & Principal Attorney

Newly appointed executor in Missouri or Arkansas? Here's what actually creates personal liability, the deadlines in each state, and how the two states differ.

Estate planning attorney reviewing documents with a blended family

Estate Planning for Blended Families in Missouri and Arkansas

August 10, 2026
Christopher W. Dumm, J.D., Founder & Principal Attorney

Missouri and Arkansas answer the same blended-family question very differently. The actual intestacy, elective share, and dower rules, side by side.

Estate planning attorney Christopher Dumm reviewing a document with a senior couple during an office consultation

What You’re Really Paying For When Your Lawyer Uses AI

July 27, 2026
Christopher W. Dumm, J.D., Founder & Principal Attorney

Estate planning attorney Christopher Dumm on how his firm uses AI, where human judgment stays in charge, and what it means for your family's plan.

Estate-planning attorney Christopher Dumm reviewing a living trust document with a retired married couple

How to Create a Living Trust in Missouri and Arkansas: A Step-by-Step Guide

July 23, 2026
Christopher W. Dumm, J.D., Founder & Principal Attorney

How to create a living trust in Missouri and Arkansas: the five steps, the state signing rules, what to fund, and the mistakes that send a trust to probate anyway.

Elder-law attorney Christopher Dumm discussing a long-term-care plan with an adult daughter and her elderly mother

Nursing Home Costs in Missouri and Arkansas: What They Run and How Families Plan for Them

July 16, 2026
Christopher W. Dumm, J.D., Founder & Principal Attorney

What a nursing home actually costs in Missouri and Arkansas, what Medicare and Medicaid will and will not cover, and the legal ways families plan ahead.

Estate-planning attorney Christopher Dumm explaining a will to an adult son and daughter during a probate consultation

How to Contest a Will in Missouri and Arkansas

July 9, 2026
Christopher W. Dumm, J.D., Founder & Principal Attorney

How to contest a will in Missouri and Arkansas: who has standing, the legal grounds courts accept, the filing deadlines, and what to expect from the process.

Estate planning attorney Christopher W. Dumm reassuring a senior client about Missouri Medicaid and nursing home planning at his elder law office

Medicaid Planning in Missouri 2026: What Every Family Must Know Before a Health Crisis Hits

June 19, 2026
Christopher W. Dumm, J.D., Founder & Principal Attorney

Missouri Medicaid planning in 2026: how the 60-month look-back, asset limits, estate recovery, and spousal rules work, and how families protect their home.

Estate planning attorney Christopher W. Dumm explaining a life insurance beneficiary form to a couple at his law office

Does Life Insurance Go Through Probate in Missouri and Arkansas?

June 12, 2026
Christopher W. Dumm, J.D., Founder & Principal Attorney

Does life insurance go through probate in Missouri or Arkansas? Usually no, but a few common beneficiary mistakes can pull the payout into probate court.