Mark D. Munson

Attorney

Banner photo of Mark D. Munson

Mark D. Munson

Attorney

Banner photo of Mark D. Munson

Mark D. Munson

Attorney

500 N First Street, Suite 8000
P.O. Box 8050
Wausau, WI 54402-8050
Phone: 715.845.4336
Toll Free: 800.477.8050
Fax: 715.845.2718

Services

Professional Recognition:

  • Wisconsin Super Lawyers® magazine – Wisconsin Rising Star in Elder Law (2011–2012); Super Lawyer (2013–2015), Super Lawyer/Elder Law (2022, 2023)
  • Best Lawyers in America®, Elder Law (2013–2025)

Super Lawyers

Attorney Mark Munson is a natural born advocate.  He’s motivated to have a meaningful, positive impact on the lives of every client and their families.

Mark’s skillset and experience allows families to concentrate on caring for each other, while he diligently secures the outcomes, results, and benefits they are legally entitled to.   He focuses his practice in the areas of elder law, public benefits (including special needs trusts), estate and trust planning, and taxation.  Mark regularly advises clients in the areas of asset protection and medical assistance eligibility as well as probate and estate administration, trust administration, and guardianship. Lately, he has been increasingly involved in care home (i.e., nursing homes and assisted living facilities) and medical assistance (Medicaid) crisis planning, assisting families in preparing for unforeseen circumstances that necessitate long-term care in a care home for a loved one.

Mark is a Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA) by the National Elder Law Foundation, the only organization accredited by the American Bar Association for the certification of elder law attorneys in the United States. To become a CELA, Mark was required to have sufficient experience in various practice areas within elder law, pass an all-day comprehensive examination that tests various issues and disciplines within elder law, and receive the recommendation of other elder law attorneys in Wisconsin and the United States.

Mark is also an accredited attorney by the Veterans Administration, a distinction that enables him to advise clients on veterans’ benefits. It’s important to note that only attorneys with this accreditation can provide legal advice and counsel on veterans’ benefits. When these benefits are available, Mark skillfully combines his knowledge of medical assistance (Medicaid) laws with veterans’ benefits to optimize financial outcomes for his clients and their families.

Mark’s active participation in the elder law community ensures he stays abreast of the latest planning techniques, bringing direct benefit to firm clients. He is an engaged member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), where he has been sharing insights on trusts and taxes at its annual meetings since 2009, attracting elder law attorneys nationwide.  Mark also served on NAELA’s national board of directors from 2016 to 2020.

Mark regularly contributes to the practice area of elder law by presenting and authoring content on national, state, and local levels.

In addition to serving on the steering committee for NAELA’s tax section, Mark is also a member of its trusts and special needs trusts section. His involvement with the Wisconsin chapter of NAELA (WI-NAELA) extends to having served on the board of directors in addition to actively contributing to their events.

Mark’s memberships extend to the elder law and real property, probate, and trust sections of the Wisconsin Bar, as well as the American Bar Association’s section on real property, probate and trust, and the senior lawyers division. Recently, he has been invited by state bar associations across the nation to share best practices in elder law.

When he’s not crisscrossing the country to educate attorneys on elder law planning techniques, Mark is a devoted father of three. He is a voracious reader who loves music, often travelling to concerts. He has yet to miss a U2 tour!

Attorney Mark Munson is a natural born advocate.  He’s motivated to have a meaningful, positive impact on the lives of every client and their families.

Mark’s skillset and experience allows families to concentrate on caring for each other, while he diligently secures the outcomes, results, and benefits they are legally entitled to.   He focuses his practice in the areas of elder law, public benefits (including special needs trusts), estate and trust planning, and taxation.  Mark regularly advises clients in the areas of asset protection and medical assistance eligibility as well as probate and estate administration, trust administration, and guardianship. Lately, he has been increasingly involved in care home (i.e., nursing homes and assisted living facilities) and medical assistance (Medicaid) crisis planning, assisting families in preparing for unforeseen circumstances that necessitate long-term care in a care home for a loved one.

Mark is a Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA) by the National Elder Law Foundation, the only organization accredited by the American Bar Association for the certification of elder law attorneys in the United States. To become a CELA, Mark was required to have sufficient experience in various practice areas within elder law, pass an all-day comprehensive examination that tests various issues and disciplines within elder law, and receive the recommendation of other elder law attorneys in Wisconsin and the United States.

Mark is also an accredited attorney by the Veterans Administration, a distinction that enables him to advise clients on veterans’ benefits. It’s important to note that only attorneys with this accreditation can provide legal advice and counsel on veterans’ benefits. When these benefits are available, Mark skillfully combines his knowledge of medical assistance (Medicaid) laws with veterans’ benefits to optimize financial outcomes for his clients and their families.

Mark’s active participation in the elder law community ensures he stays abreast of the latest planning techniques, bringing direct benefit to firm clients. He is an engaged member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), where he has been sharing insights on trusts and taxes at its annual meetings since 2009, attracting elder law attorneys nationwide.  Mark also served on NAELA’s national board of directors from 2016 to 2020.

Mark regularly contributes to the practice area of elder law by presenting and authoring content on national, state, and local levels.

In addition to serving on the steering committee for NAELA’s tax section, Mark is also a member of its trusts and special needs trusts section. His involvement with the Wisconsin chapter of NAELA (WI-NAELA) extends to having served on the board of directors in addition to actively contributing to their events.

Mark’s memberships extend to the elder law and real property, probate, and trust sections of the Wisconsin Bar, as well as the American Bar Association’s section on real property, probate and trust, and the senior lawyers division. Recently, he has been invited by state bar associations across the nation to share best practices in elder law.

When he’s not crisscrossing the country to educate attorneys on elder law planning techniques, Mark is a devoted father of three. He is a voracious reader who loves music, often travelling to concerts. He has yet to miss a U2 tour!

Civic Activities

  • Dan Storey Foundation – Director (2009 – 2016)
  • Immanuel Lutheran Church – Financial Secretary (2005 – 2009)
  • Kids Voting USA of Marathon County, Inc. – Director and President (2007 – 2012)
  • Kids Voting USA of Wisconsin, Inc. – President (2007 – 2012); Director (2004 – 2012)
  • Monk Botanical Gardens – Board Member (2022 – present)
  • North Central Technical College – Instructor (Real Estate Licensing) (2003)
  • United Way of Marathon County – Board Member (2011 – 2014); Impact Team Member (2009 – present); Loaned Executive Volunteer (2005 – 2008)
  • UW-Marathon County Foundation – Director (2009–2016)
  • Wausau Conservatory of Music – Board Member (2011–2014)

Professional Activities

  • National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys – Board Member (2016 – 2020); Co-Chair 2015 Annual Conference; Planning Committee (2012 – 2015); Tax Steering Committee (2012 – present); Nominating Committee (2014 – 2016); Federal Advocacy Committee (2021 – present)
  • National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys – Wisconsin Chapter – Member (2016 – present); Director (2017 – 2020)
  • Marathon County Estate Planners Forum – Member
  • Wispact – Secretary, chairperson (2016); Attorney Advisory Committee (2015 – present); Retained fund committee advisory board (2023 – present)
  • Special Needs Alliance – Member (2024 – present)

Insights

Articles

Presentations

  • Retirement Benefits and Medicaid Crisis Planning: Part 1 – Krause Financial – 4/9/24
  • Income Tax Considerations for Irrevocable Trusts Used in Medicaid Eligibility Planning – State Bar of Wisconsin’s Legal Issues of the Aging 2023 Conference – 9/22/23
  • Old Plan, New Plan, No Plan – Time to Estate Plan, YMCA The Landing – 1/26/23
  • Using Irrevocable Trusts for Medical Assistance Eligibility Planning, National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys’ Minnesota Chapter – December 2022
  • A Dime a Million:  Special Needs Planning for the High-Net-Worth Family, Co-Presenter, National Stetson University Special Needs Conference – 10/12/22
  • “Take Me Home Country Roads” Asset Protections Trusts, Co-Presenter, Oregon State Bar Elder Law Section – 10/7/22
  • Charitable Remainder Trusts and Retirement Benefits After the SECURE Act, Association for Women Lawyers – 9/21/22
  • The Current Status of Retirement Benefits Planning After the SECURE Act, North Carolina Chapter of NAELA Webinar – 9/9/22
  • The Medicaid Asset Protection Trust:  From Initial Consult to Funding, ElderCounsel Annual Conference – 8/24–26/22
  • Estate Planning to USD School of Law – 8/12/22
  • The Current Status of Retirement Benefits Planning After the SECURE Act, National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) – 5/25/22
  • The Truth About Your Home & the Nursing Home – 4/21/22
  • Trust Administration Concerns for Every Attorney – Part Two, co-presented with ElderCounsel – 4/12/22
  • Charitable Remainder Trusts and Retirement Assets After the SECURE Act, Wispact Update 2022 – 4/1/22
  • Essential Irrevocable Trust Design Considerations for Medicaid Planning Webinar, ElderCounsel – 2/10/22
  • What Every Estate Planning Attorney Should Know About Medicaid Eligibility, 42nd Annual Estate Planning Update 2021 – 12/4/21
  • Charitable Remainder Trusts, Stetson Law 2021 National Conference on Special Needs Planning and Special Needs Trusts – 10/14/21
  • Trusts to Hold Retirement Funds, When Beneficiary is a Minor, The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys – 5/10/19
  • Drafting to Avoid Future Medicaid & SSA Challenges, The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys 2018 Summit – 11/15/18
  • Paying Retirement Benefits to Trusts Webinar, The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys – 10/16/18
  • Paying Retirement Benefits to Trusts, NAELA News Online, The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys – 6/22/18
  • Protect Your Assets – Medical Assistance and Long-term Care Planning  – 11/17/10, 11/18/10, 2/16/11, 4/21/11, 9/21/11, 11/16/11, 2/15/12, 11/14/12, 11/15/12, 5/14/13, 5/15/13, 11/21/13, 3/20/14, 10/30/14, 11/20/14, 10/6/15, 10/3/16 and 10/5/16
  • Advising a Personal Representative or Trustee When an Estate or Trust is the Beneficiary of Retirement Webinar, The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys – 9/28/16
  • Using Microsoft Excel for IRA Planning, The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys Annual Conference 2016 – 4/15/16
  • Sophisticated Elder Law Tax and Estate Planning From Start to Finish Part 2, The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys Summit 2016 – 3/1/16
  • Advising a Personal Representative or Trustee When an Estate or Trust is the Beneficiary of Retirement Benefits, The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys – 9/22/15
  • Wills, Trusts, and Estates:  Back to Basics, The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys Annual Conference 2015 – 7/1/15
  • Wills, Trusts, and Estates OH MY!  Back to Basics, The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys Conference – 5/14/15
  • Grantor Trusts:  To Be or Not to Be, The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys Conference – May 2015
  • Back to Basics, The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys Conference – May 2015
  • Grantor Trusts:  To Be or Not to Be, 17th Annual Elder Law Workshop – 1/23/15
  • WisPACT presentation, Chippewa Falls Aging & Disability Resource Center – 12/2/14
  • 2014 Case Law Updates – State Bar of Wisconsin’s “Legal Issues of the Aging” – 9/26/14
  • Estate Planning – Asset Reallocation, Permissible Gifts and Use of Trusts, The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys Basics of Elder and Special Needs Law 2014 – 7/1/14
  • Financial Services–Long Term Care Insurance (2014), The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys Annual Conference 2014 – 7/1/14
  • Understanding the 3.8% Net Investment Income Tax and Its Impacts on Individuals, Trusts, and Estates, Webinar, The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys – 4/29/14
  • Estate Planning – Asset Reallocation, Permissible Gifts and Use of Trusts and Expanding Your Practice with Financial Planning Services, The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys Conference – April 2014
  • Medical Assistance Planning for Ag Producers, Hot Topics in Agricultural Law: Succession Planning conference (sponsored by Northcentral Technical College, UW-Marathon Center, and Partnership for Progressive Agriculture) – 2/13/14 and 2/19/14
  • Trust Tax Myths and Truths, The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys National Aging & Law Institute 2013 – 12/1/13
  • Personal Care Payments and Agreements Tax and Employment Issues, State Bar of Wisconsin’s “Legal Issues of the Aging” – 9/27/13
  • Estate Planning, The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys Basics of Elder and Special Needs Law 2014 – 6/1/13
  • Trust Tax Myths and Truths, National Association of Legal Investigators Annual Conference – April 2013
  • Estate Planning–Asset Protection, Uncompensated Transfers and Trusts (including Special Needs Trusts), The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys – April 2013
  • Asset Protection for Personal Assets of Physicians, Marshfield Clinic – 10/2/12 and 10/9/12
  • ABCs of Asset Protection for the 99%, The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys Conference – 4/2012
  • IRAs in Trusts, State Bar of Wisconsin Webcast – 9/30/2011
  • Qualified Domestic Trust, The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys Conference – April 2010
  • The Administration and Taxation of Special Needs Trusts: What Every NAELA Attorney Needs to Know, The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys Conference – April 2009

 

Civic Activities

  • Dan Storey Foundation – Director (2009 – 2016)
  • Immanuel Lutheran Church – Financial Secretary (2005 – 2009)
  • Kids Voting USA of Marathon County, Inc. – Director and President (2007 – 2012)
  • Kids Voting USA of Wisconsin, Inc. – President (2007 – 2012); Director (2004 – 2012)
  • Monk Botanical Gardens – Board Member (2022 – present)
  • North Central Technical College – Instructor (Real Estate Licensing) (2003)
  • United Way of Marathon County – Board Member (2011 – 2014); Impact Team Member (2009 – present); Loaned Executive Volunteer (2005 – 2008)
  • UW-Marathon County Foundation – Director (2009–2016)
  • Wausau Conservatory of Music – Board Member (2011–2014)

Professional Activities

  • National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys – Board Member (2016 – 2020); Co-Chair 2015 Annual Conference; Planning Committee (2012 – 2015); Tax Steering Committee (2012 – present); Nominating Committee (2014 – 2016); Federal Advocacy Committee (2021 – present)
  • National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys – Wisconsin Chapter – Member (2016 – present); Director (2017 – 2020)
  • Marathon County Estate Planners Forum – Member
  • Wispact – Secretary, chairperson (2016); Attorney Advisory Committee (2015 – present); Retained fund committee advisory board (2023 – present)
  • Special Needs Alliance – Member (2024 – present)

500 N First Street, Suite 8000
P.O. Box 8050
Wausau, WI 54402-8050
Phone: 715.845.4336
Toll Free: 800.477.8050
Fax: 715.845.2718

Services

Professional Recognition:

  • Wisconsin Super Lawyers® magazine – Wisconsin Rising Star in Elder Law (2011–2012); Super Lawyer (2013–2015), Super Lawyer/Elder Law (2022, 2023)
  • Best Lawyers in America®, Elder Law (2013–2025)

Super Lawyers

Education

  • B.S. (with distinction), University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, Carlson School of Management (1995)
  • J.D., University of South Dakota School of Law (1999)

Admissions

  • Wisconsin Supreme Court
  • Illinois Supreme Court
  • Minnesota Supreme Court
  • South Dakota Supreme Court
  • Kansas Supreme Court
  • Missouri Supreme Court
  • U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
  • U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois

Certifications

  • Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA) by the National Elder Law Foundation
  • Accredited Attorney with the Veterans Administration