Ozarks Elder Law expands to Branson, Lebanon

Ozarks Elder Law LLC expanded the firm’s office count by two in as many months.

Owner Lori Rook said the company now has seven offices after opening Dec. 1 in Branson at 500 W. Main St., Ste. 201. The firm occupies roughly 1,200 square feet of shared space with Licata Bankruptcy Firm PC in the Branson Financial Center.

Ozarks Elder Law’s newest addition was preceded by a Nov. 1 office launch in Lebanon at 237 N. Adams Ave. Rook said that office is a temporary home for the firm, as it plans to move by March to 100 N. Jefferson Ave., where it will occupy 1,500 square feet. She declined to disclose startup costs or lease terms for the Branson and Lebanon offices.

“We weren’t planning on expanding into two different areas at the same time,” she said, noting the plan to open a Branson office materialized in October. “Sometimes, opportunities arise that are just really hard to overlook and there’s a need down there, especially with COVID.”

Ozarks Elder Law handles legal needs for older adults and people who are disabled, including estate and asset protection planning. It also has offices in Springfield, Nixa, Ozark, Joplin and Marshfield.

Rook said client concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and the health issues the virus can cause have been a contributing factor for her firm experiencing an uptick in business. She projects revenue will finish the year around 20% over 2019, declining to disclose figures.

“We got unusually busy in the summer because of COVID,” she said.

The Marshfield office had clients over the summer driving from Fort Leonard Wood and the Lake of the Ozarks area, she said. That precipitated the decision to add a Lebanon office to better serve people in Pulaski and Laclede counties, as well as Lake of the Ozarks.

The new offices are by appointment only at this time, Rook said, with one attorney working out of each. She said both offices should have a support staff member added later in 2021. The firm employs 21, including six attorneys, among its seven offices, she said.

Rook also owns Ozarks Business Law LLC, which began operating last year as a division of Ozarks Elder Law, according to past Springfield Business Journal reporting. It handles consulting, transactional and succession planning for small-business clients and farmers.