Fortress step three is the one that shocks everyone. The walls aren't made of money. They're made of paper.
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​A will. Guardianship documents. And for parents of disabled children, one piece of knowledge that I have watched hit parents like cold water:
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​The wrong savings account — opened out of pure love, in your child's name — can accidentally cost them the public benefits their future depends on. The system doesn't grade intentions. It grades paperwork.
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​I'm an attorney, and this still nearly caught me.
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​Law #9: Raise the walls before you fill the vault. See a qualified special-needs planning attorney before you put a single dollar in your child's name. These structures are complex and fact-specific — books educate, and mine will arm you for that meeting. But have the meeting.
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​Without the walls, the fortress isn't a fortress — it's a pile of money waiting for a judge who has never met your son to decide what happens to it. That's Law #9.
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​The Laws are from my book, Raising Eddie: Fathering a Disabled Son — available on Amazon. Free 10-Strategy Survival Guide: joinironfathers.com/guide · Free 2-minute Fortress Check-Up: joinironfathers.com/gps-updated
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​Educational content from the book — not financial, legal, or investment advice. Benefit rules vary by state and situation — before acting, talk to qualified professionals who do this every day.