Use a power of attorney to manage a claim for an elderly parent, not just giving them verbal advice.
The Official Backstage Pass vs. Shouting from the Audience
Giving your elderly parent advice on their claim is like shouting instructions to a musician from the back of a loud concert hall. Your advice is probably good, but you have no authority, and the roadies (the adjusters) will ignore you. A “Power of Attorney” is the official, all-access backstage pass. It is a legal document that puts you on the stage, next to your parent. It gives you the legal authority to speak directly to the adjuster, sign documents, and manage the entire show on their behalf.
Stop letting an adjuster rush a senior into signing a release. Do insist on a 72-hour review period with family or counsel instead.
The High-Pressure Sales Pitch vs. the Cooling-Off Period
An adjuster who pressures an elderly person to sign a settlement release on the spot is like a high-pressure salesman demanding you sign a mortgage right now. It is a tactic designed to take advantage of their confusion and trust. You must be the one to step in and say, “We will not be signing anything today. We are taking the next 72 hours to review this document with family and a lawyer.” This creates a mandatory “cooling-off” period, protecting them from a rushed decision that could cost them their rights.
Stop accepting a settlement for a minor’s injury without court approval. Do understand that a “friendly suit” is required to protect the child’s interests, instead.
The Judge Who Must Approve the Child’s Business Deal
A child cannot legally sign a contract. A settlement is a contract. Therefore, you, as a parent, cannot legally sign away your child’s rights on your own. The law requires a special process called a “friendly suit” or a “minor’s compromise.” This is where you and the insurance company jointly present the settlement to a judge. The judge acts as the ultimate protector, reviewing the deal to ensure it is fair to the child before giving it the official, legally binding stamp of approval.
The #1 secret for a minor’s injury claim is to use a structured settlement to ensure the funds last until adulthood.
The Financial Time-Release Capsule for Their Future
Giving a large, lump-sum settlement for a child’s injury is like giving a 10-year-old a giant bag of candy. It will be gone in a week. A “structured settlement” is a financial time-release capsule. The money is placed in a special annuity that is designed to protect it and make it grow. It will then automatically release scheduled, tax-free payments to the child for college, a first home, or for the rest of their life. It is the secret to ensuring the settlement actually lasts long enough to protect their future.
I’m just going to say it: Some adjusters will deliberately use confusing jargon and a fast pace when dealing with elderly claimants.
The Fast-Talking Salesman Who Preys on the Vulnerable
This is a cynical and deliberate tactic. The adjuster knows that an elderly person may be too polite to interrupt, may have difficulty hearing, or may be easily confused by complex legal terms. They will use this to their advantage, speaking quickly and using a flood of jargon like “indemnification” and “subrogation.” They are a fast-talking salesman, intentionally creating a cloud of confusion, hoping the senior will get overwhelmed and just agree to a lowball offer to make the confusing conversation stop.
The reason a claim for a senior’s fall was denied is because the insurer is blaming it on “age-related degeneration” instead of a property hazard.
The Shaky Knees vs. the Slippery Floor
When an elderly person falls, there are two potential culprits: their own body or a dangerous condition. The insurer will always blame the body. They will get their doctor to say the fall was caused by the senior’s “age-related degeneration” or weak knees. To win, you must be the detective who proves the floor was the true villain. You need evidence—photos of the broken handrail, witness statements about the icy patch—to prove that even a healthy young person would have fallen on that dangerous, negligently maintained property.
If you’re still allowing your elderly parents to give a recorded statement alone, you’re losing the chance to protect them from leading questions.
The Witness in the Interrogation Room Without a Lawyer
A recorded statement is a legal interrogation. Allowing your elderly parent to do this alone is like letting a vulnerable witness walk into an interrogation room with a trained detective, alone and unprotected. The adjuster will ask confusing, leading, and rapid-fire questions designed to get them to say something that will damage their claim. You must be in the room, acting as their lawyer, to stop the questioning, clarify the language, and protect them from the manipulative tactics of the other side.
The biggest lie you’ve been told is that the first offer for a child’s scar is fair, without considering future revision surgery costs.
The First Patch on a Wound That Will Need Stitches for Years
A child’s scar is not a static injury; it is a living thing that will grow and stretch as they do. The insurer’s first offer is the price of the first, cheap band-aid. But a serious scar will likely require multiple, expensive “revision” surgeries in the future as the child grows into an adult. A fair settlement is not just for the scar as it looks today; it must include the calculated, future cost of all the plastic surgeries that will be needed for the next 15 years.
I wish I knew about setting up a special needs trust for a disabled child’s settlement to protect their government benefits.
The Special Bucket That Doesn’t Overflow
If a child receives government benefits like Medicaid or SSI, a large settlement can be a disaster. The lump sum of cash can make them “too rich” and instantly disqualify them from the essential benefits they need to survive. A “special needs trust” is a magic, legal bucket. The settlement money goes into this special trust, and because the child doesn’t technically “own” it, the bucket never overflows. This allows them to keep their essential government benefits while the trust money is used to pay for their supplemental needs.
99% of families make this one mistake: they underestimate the future medical needs of an injured child.
The Small Sapling That Will Grow into a Giant, Expensive Tree
A child’s injury is a small sapling. It may not look like much today. But that sapling will grow with the child, and it can eventually become a massive, complex, and incredibly expensive tree. A “minor” knee injury at age 8 can lead to a lifetime of arthritis and a full knee replacement at age 40. Families often make the catastrophic mistake of settling the claim based on the small sapling they see today, without ever considering the massive, expensive tree that it will become.
Use a geriatric care manager’s assessment, not just the adjuster’s opinion, to prove an elderly person’s need for home assistance after an injury.
The Expert’s Blueprint for a Senior’s Daily Life
The adjuster, who is not a medical professional, will say your injured mother doesn’t need in-home care. A geriatric care manager is the expert architect who can prove them wrong. They will perform a detailed, in-home assessment and create a professional “life care plan” that outlines every single, specific need: the shower assistance, the meal preparation, the medication management. This expert’s report is the undeniable blueprint that proves the exact level of care required for them to live safely and independently.
Stop letting an insurer claim a senior’s pre-existing conditions (like arthritis) negate their injury claim. Do argue the accident aggravated the condition, instead.
The Sleeping Dog That the Accident Woke Up
An insurer will use a senior’s pre-existing arthritis as an excuse to deny a claim. They will say, “The pain was already there.” You must argue that the accident was the thing that kicked the sleeping dog. The legal concept is “aggravation of a pre-existing condition.” You must prove that while the arthritis was a sleeping, manageable condition before the accident, the trauma of the fall was what woke it up, made it angry, and turned it into a painful, debilitating problem.
Stop thinking a child’s emotional trauma doesn’t have value. Do get a child psychologist’s report to document PTSD and anxiety, instead.
The Invisible Scars That Last a Lifetime
A physical scar is easy to see and value. But the invisible scars of emotional trauma—the nightmares, the new fear of dogs, the anxiety—are just as real and often last much longer. The insurer will pretend these invisible wounds don’t exist. A report from a child psychologist is the powerful tool that makes the invisible visible. It is the expert’s medical diagnosis of the PTSD and the anxiety, and it is the key to proving that the deepest, most painful scars are the ones you cannot see.
The #1 hack for a minor’s claim is to have a pediatric specialist, not a generalist, write the final medical report.
The Master Craftsman for a Child’s Unique Injury
A child is not a small adult. Their bones are still growing, and their bodies heal in different, more complex ways. Having a general family doctor write the report on a child’s serious injury is like having a handyman try to fix a Swiss watch. You need the master craftsman. A report from a board-certified pediatric specialist—an orthopedic surgeon or a neurologist—is the expert testimony that explains the unique, long-term consequences of this injury on a growing body, which will dramatically increase the value of the claim.
I’m just going to say it: Financial abuse of seniors via lowball insurance settlements is a hidden national scandal.
The Wolves Who Target the Slowest Members of the Herd
Adjusters know that seniors can be more trusting, less likely to fight, and are often on a fixed income, making them more desperate for a quick, small check. This makes them the perfect target. The widespread, systemic practice of deliberately offering a lower settlement to an elderly claimant than they would to a younger, more aggressive person is a form of financial abuse. It is a hidden, shameful, and incredibly common scandal where the wolves of the industry deliberately target the slowest members of the herd.
The reason a settlement for a minor is being delayed is because the insurer is waiting for a judge to approve it, which is a good thing.
The Final, Protective Inspection Before You Buy the House
The delay in a child’s settlement can be frustrating. But it is not a tactic; it is a vital protection. Before you can “buy” the settlement, a judge must act as the final home inspector. They will review every detail of the deal, ensuring that the price is fair, the terms are in the child’s best interest, and that their financial future is secure. This judicial review is a mandatory and essential safety step that protects your child from a bad deal. It’s a delay you should be grateful for.
If you’re still not considering the impact of an injury on a child’s educational and future earning capacity, you’re losing a huge part of the claim’s value.
The Broken Ladder to Their Future Career
A serious injury doesn’t just affect a child today; it can break a rung on the ladder of their entire future. A brain injury might impact their ability to get a college degree. A severe hand injury could prevent them from becoming a surgeon or a musician. You must include this “loss of future earning capacity” in the claim. A vocational expert can write a report that calculates the massive, lifetime difference in income between the career they could have had and the one they are now limited to.
The biggest lie you’ve been told is that you, as a parent, can simply sign away your child’s legal rights.
The Legal Rights That Belong to the Child, Not the Parent
As a parent, you are the guardian of your child, but you are not the owner of their legal rights. A child’s legal claim for an injury is a piece of property that belongs to them, and them alone. You cannot legally sell or give away their property. That is why a judge must approve any settlement. The judge is the only one with the legal authority to oversee the transfer of that property, ensuring the child receives fair value for what is being taken from them.
I wish I knew that I could be held personally liable if I mismanaged my child’s settlement funds.
The Guardian of the Treasure Chest
When you are the custodian of your child’s settlement, you are not just a parent; you are a legal “fiduciary.” You are the sworn guardian of a treasure chest that belongs to someone else. You have a strict, legal duty to protect and preserve that money for the sole benefit of your child. If you mismanage it, spend it on yourself, or make risky investments, you can be sued, removed as the guardian, and be held personally liable to pay the money back.
99% of people make this one mistake with a senior’s property claim: they don’t document the high quality of older, well-maintained possessions.
The Antique Watch vs. the Cheap Knockoff
When an insurer sees “20-year-old couch” on an inventory, they will value it at almost zero. But what if it was a high-end, Baker furniture sofa that was in pristine condition? An older, well-maintained piece of property is often of far higher quality than its modern, cheaper replacement. You must be the art appraiser for your parents’ belongings. Take photos and document the high-quality brands and the excellent condition to prove you are not claiming for a cheap knockoff, but for a valuable antique.
Use a durable power of attorney to file a claim if a parent is incapacitated, not just assuming you have the authority.
The Legal Keys to Their Financial Kingdom
When a parent is ill or incapacitated, you cannot simply start signing their name. You do not have the legal keys to their financial kingdom. A “Durable Power of Attorney” is that set of keys. It is a legal document, signed by your parent when they were well, that specifically gives you the authority to make financial decisions and sign documents on their behalf. Without this document, you are just a concerned child; with it, you are their legal, authorized agent.
Stop accepting an insurer’s argument that a senior’s memory is unreliable. Do use other evidence like photos and documents to support the claim, instead.
The Fading Memory vs. the Permanent Photograph
An adjuster will often try to dismiss an elderly person’s account of an event by claiming their memory is unreliable. This is a cruel and common tactic. You must not let the case rest on their memory alone. You must build a fortress of corroborating evidence around them. Use their own, detailed diary entries, dated photographs, and receipts to support their story. This external evidence is the permanent photograph that proves their fading memory is, in fact, accurate.
Stop allowing a minor to be deposed without extensive preparation with an attorney.
The Child Witness in a Hostile Courtroom
A deposition is a formal, sworn testimony in a hostile legal environment. The other side’s lawyer is a trained professional whose job is to confuse and trap the witness. Putting a child in this situation without extensive preparation is a form of legal malpractice. Your attorney must spend hours with the child, practicing the questions, teaching them how to answer truthfully but concisely, and preparing them for the intense, psychological pressure of a courtroom interrogation.
The #1 secret for a senior’s injury claim is to document the loss of their ability to live independently.
The Stolen Key to Their Freedom and Dignity
For a senior, a “minor” injury can be a life-altering catastrophe. The biggest damage is not the pain; it is the loss of their independence. The claim must focus on this. A broken hip is not just a medical bill; it is the stolen key that has taken away their ability to cook their own meals, to drive to the store, and to live with dignity in their own home. This loss of independence is the most valuable, and the most important, part of their claim.
I’m just going to say it: The legal system has extra protections for minors and the elderly for a reason; you need to use them.
The Special Armor for the Most Vulnerable Players
The legal system is a full-contact sport. And it recognizes that children and the elderly are the most vulnerable players on the field. That is why it has created a special set of rules and a special suit of armor just for them. The requirement for a judge to approve a settlement, the appointment of a guardian, and the stricter standards for contracts are all part of that armor. These protections are not a suggestion; they are a right, and you must be the one to ensure that armor is being used.
The reason a child’s injury claim is complex is because the statute of limitations is often “tolled” until they turn 18.
The Ticking Clock That Is Frozen in Time
The “statute of limitations” is the ticking clock that limits the amount of time you have to file a lawsuit. For a child, the law often “tolls,” or freezes, that clock. The clock does not even start ticking until the day the child turns 18. This means that a person who was injured in a car accident at age 5 might still have the right to file their own lawsuit at age 20. This long, frozen timeline makes the claim more complex and requires a long-term strategy.
If you’re still not getting a life care plan for a seriously injured child, you’re committing financial malpractice.
The Architectural Blueprint for Their Entire Future
For a seriously injured child, you are not just building a small ramp for their wheelchair today. You are building an entire, accessible house that they will have to live in for the next 70 years. A “life care plan” is the detailed, architectural blueprint for that house. It is a massive report, created by a team of experts, that calculates the cost of every single future need—the medical care, the home modifications, the special education—for the rest of their life. Not getting this blueprint is an act of professional negligence.
The biggest lie you’ve been told is that an annuity is the only way to structure a settlement.
The Single Investment vs. a Diversified Portfolio
An annuity is a good, conservative investment vehicle for a settlement. But it is not the only car on the road. The insurance company will push it because it is safe and simple for them. But depending on the child’s needs and the family’s financial sophistication, there are other, more flexible options. The settlement can be placed in a professionally managed trust that can be invested in a diversified portfolio of stocks and bonds, which may offer a better long-term return. You have choices.
I wish I knew that the adjuster is not my elderly mother’s “friend.”
The Friendly Salesman with a Hidden Agenda
The adjuster who calls your elderly mother “honey” and asks about her grandkids is not a new friend; they are a salesman with a very specific, hidden agenda. They are using kindness and empathy as a strategic tool. Their goal is to build a rapport, to gain her trust, and to make her feel comfortable, so that she will be more likely to accept the small, friendly, and completely inadequate settlement offer they are planning to make next week. Their friendship is a professional tactic.
This one small action of putting all communication with the insurer in writing will protect a vulnerable person from being manipulated.
The Undeniable Transcript That Replaces a Faulty Memory
A verbal conversation can be easily twisted, misremembered, or denied, especially when dealing with a vulnerable person. Putting everything in writing is the ultimate protection. Every single communication should be confirmed with a follow-up email or letter. This creates a clear, undeniable, and permanent transcript of every promise made and every question asked. This written record becomes the official “memory” of the claim, a perfect, high-definition recording that cannot be manipulated or disputed.
Use a vocational expert to assess a teenager’s lost future income, not just their part-time job wages.
The Broken Rocket Ship on the Launch Pad
A teenager’s part-time job flipping burgers is not a reflection of their future. It is the small, first stage of a rocket that was destined for the stars. A serious injury has just blown up that rocket on the launch pad. A vocational expert is the NASA engineer who can analyze the child’s academic record, their skills, and their ambitions to create a report that calculates the massive, lifetime difference in income between the career they were on track for and the one they are now limited to.
Stop letting the insurer use a senior’s fixed income as leverage to force a quick, low settlement.
The Financial Siege on a Vulnerable Castle
An insurance company knows that a senior living on a fixed income has very little financial cushion. They will deliberately delay and lowball a claim, knowing that the senior is in a vulnerable financial position. This is a form of financial siege. They are cutting off the supply lines to the castle, waiting for the person inside to get so desperate for any amount of money that they will be willing to surrender and accept a ridiculously low settlement.
Stop being intimidated by the guardian ad litem. Do understand they are there to protect the child’s interests, not to be an adversary, instead.
The Child’s Personal Lawyer in the Courtroom
When you are in court for a minor’s settlement, the judge will appoint a “guardian ad litem.” This sounds like an intimidating, adversarial figure. They are not. They are a separate, independent lawyer whose one and only client is your child. Their job is not to fight you; their job is to be your child’s personal attorney, to review the settlement, and to report back to the judge on whether they believe the deal is truly in the child’s best interest. They are an ally, not an enemy.
The #1 hack for a senior’s property claim is to emphasize the difficulty and cost of managing the repair process.
The Unpaid, Full-Time Job of a Project Manager
For a young person, managing a major home repair is a hassle. For an 80-year-old with health issues, it is an impossible, full-time job. The claim is not just for the cost of the materials; it is for the management of the chaos. You must emphasize the unique and overwhelming burden this process places on a senior. This can be used as leverage to argue for a faster settlement, a higher amount for their time and stress, or the hiring of a professional construction manager.
I’m just going to say it: You need to be a fierce, unapologetic advocate when a vulnerable family member has a claim.
The Mama Bear Protecting Her Cub
When a vulnerable person is facing a powerful insurance company, you cannot be a polite, passive observer. You must become a fierce, unapologetic mama bear protecting her cub. You must be the one to make the tough phone calls, to write the demanding letters, and to stand up to the adjuster’s bullying tactics. This is not a time for quiet deference; it is a time for strong, relentless, and unwavering advocacy. You are their shield, and you must be made of steel.
The reason a dog bite claim for a child is so high is because of the likelihood of permanent scarring and psychological trauma.
The Scar on the Face and the Scar on the Mind
A dog bite claim for a child has two massive components. The first is the physical scar, which is often on the face and will require a lifetime of expensive plastic surgeries as the child grows. The second, and often larger, component is the psychological scar. The event can lead to a lifetime of PTSD, nightmares, and a debilitating fear of animals. The high value of the claim is a reflection of the permanent, lifelong consequences of these two, terrible injuries.
If you’re still cashing a settlement check for a minor without court approval, you could be in serious legal trouble.
The Illegal Sale of Your Child’s Property
Cashing a settlement check for your child without a judge’s approval is not just a procedural mistake; it is an illegal act. You have just sold a piece of your child’s legal property without the required permission. The insurance company can be sanctioned for this. And you, the parent, can be forced to pay the money back and can even be removed as the child’s guardian. It is a legal and financial landmine that you must avoid at all costs.
The biggest lie you’ve been told is that the insurer’s first offer is based on a thorough evaluation of the claim.
The Lowball Offer Based on a Five-Minute Glance
Especially when dealing with a senior or the parent of an injured child, the insurer’s first offer is not the result of a careful, compassionate analysis. It is a quick, computer-generated, lowball number based on a five-minute glance at the file. They are testing you. They are throwing a small, shiny lure in the water to see if a desperate and unsophisticated person will bite. It is a cynical, strategic opening move, not a fair assessment of value.
I wish I knew that I could get the insurer to pay for a trust administration fee as part of the settlement.
The Operating Costs of the Financial Lifeboat
Putting a child’s settlement into a professionally managed trust is like putting them into a safe, financial lifeboat. But that lifeboat has operating costs; the professional trustee and the investment manager must be paid. These “trust administration fees” can be significant. In your settlement negotiation, you can and should argue that the insurance company must not only buy the lifeboat, but they should also have to pay for the first few years of its fuel and maintenance.
99% of parents make this one mistake: they don’t take photos of their child’s injury as it heals over time.
The Visual Diary of a Painful Journey
A photo of a child’s injury on the day of the accident is powerful. But a series of photos, taken once a week for six months, is a devastatingly effective visual diary. This series of images tells the story of the painful healing process, the infections, the changing colors of the bruises, and the slow formation of the permanent scar. It is a time-lapse movie of their suffering that will be far more impactful to a jury than a single, static photograph.
Use a certified elder law attorney, not just a general practitioner, for a complex claim involving a senior.
The Specialist for a Medically and Financially Complex Patient
A legal case involving a senior is not a standard case; it has unique and complex layers. A certified elder law attorney is the specialist who understands this. They are an expert not just in the insurance dispute, but also in how the settlement will impact their Social Security, their Medicare, and their estate plan. They are the doctor who understands the patient’s entire, complex medical and financial chart, not just the one, single injury.
Stop letting an adjuster downplay a child’s pain and suffering because “kids bounce back.”
The Small Crack That Will Become a Giant Fissure
“Kids are resilient, they bounce back.” An adjuster will use this cliché to downplay a child’s injury. This is a dangerous lie. A child’s growing body is like a young tree. A small crack in the trunk today can grow into a massive, debilitating fissure as the tree matures. That “minor” limp at age 10 can become a crippling arthritis at age 40. The pain and suffering of a child is not less; it is more, because they have to live with the consequences for their entire life.
Stop letting the insurer rush to settle before the full extent of a senior’s post-fall complications are known.
The Minor Fall That Leads to a Catastrophic Decline
For an elderly person, a simple fall can be the first domino in a catastrophic chain reaction. The broken hip can lead to pneumonia in the hospital, which can lead to a permanent loss of mobility and a rapid cognitive decline. The insurer will try to rush in and settle the claim based on just the broken hip. You must wait. You have to give it time to see if that first, small domino is going to knock over the entire, fragile line of their health.
The #1 secret is to show how the injury has deprived a child of the “enjoyment of life” and childhood activities.
The Stolen Colors of a Child’s World
The true measure of a child’s injury is not just in the medical bills; it is in the stolen joy. The “loss of enjoyment of life” is a legal term for this. The claim must paint a vivid picture of the colors that have been taken from their world. The broken leg is not just a fracture; it is the missed season of Little League, the inability to play with their friends at recess, and the summer they had to spend on the couch instead of at the swimming pool.
I’m just going to say it: A child’s claim is worth more than an adult’s for the same injury because they have to live with it longer.
The Lifetime Sentence vs. the 10-Year Sentence
Imagine two people are given a life sentence for the same crime. One is 70 years old. The other is 7 years old. The child will have to serve that sentence for 63 years longer than the adult. It is the same injury, but a much longer, more brutal punishment. A permanent scar or a lifelong limp is a life sentence. The legal and financial system recognizes that the value of that suffering is magnified when the person has to endure it for an entire lifetime.
The reason a senior’s claim is being denied is because they didn’t understand a question on the application and made a mistake.
The Honest Mistake vs. the Deliberate Lie
An insurance application is a confusing, legalistic document. An elderly person can easily misunderstand a tricky question and make an honest mistake. The insurance company will then pounce on this “misrepresentation” and use it to deny a claim. To fight this, you must show that the mistake was not an intentional, fraudulent lie, but was the predictable result of a confusing question being asked of a vulnerable person. You are arguing for an honest mistake, not a deliberate deception.
If you’re still not with your elderly parent during every single adjuster inspection, you’re losing the ability to control the narrative.
The Tour Guide for the Inspector
When the adjuster inspects your parent’s property, they are a detective looking for clues they can use to deny the claim. If your parent is alone, the adjuster is in total control of the tour. You must be present. You are the official tour guide. You will walk them through, point out the real damage, and ensure their notes and photos reflect the true story. You are there to control the narrative and to be a protective witness for your vulnerable parent.
The biggest lie you’ve been told is that a small scar on a boy is worth less than one on a girl.
The Outdated, Sexist Math of a Bygone Era
This is an old, sexist, and legally bankrupt argument that some adjusters will still try to use. They will argue that a scar on a boy’s face is less valuable because “boys are rough” and it “builds character.” This is nonsense. In the modern world, the value of a scar is based on its severity, its permanence, and the emotional distress it causes, regardless of the gender of the person it is on. Do not let them get away with this outdated, discriminatory math.
I wish I knew the importance of documenting a child’s nightmares and anxiety after a traumatic event.
The Invisible Wounds That Are the Loudest Testimony
After a traumatic event, a child may not be able to articulate their fear. Their testimony will be in their actions. You must become the court reporter for their behavior. Document the nightmares, the bedwetting, the new fear of being alone, the drop in their grades. This detailed log of their changed behavior is the powerful, undeniable testimony of their psychological injury. It is the evidence that proves the deepest wounds are the ones that they cannot show you.
This one small action of creating a separate, protected bank account for a minor’s settlement funds will change their financial future.
The Unbreakable Piggy Bank That Protects Their Future
The moment a minor’s settlement check arrives, you must take it to the bank and open a “Uniform Transfers to Minors Act” (UTMA) or a “blocked” account. This is an unbreakable, legal piggy bank. The money legally belongs to the child, and you, the parent, cannot withdraw a single penny without a judge’s permission. This one, simple action protects the money from creditors, from your own financial troubles, and from any temptation, ensuring it will be there, safe and sound, on the day your child turns 18.