Chapter 4 - HAROLD LAWSON
Dustin’s father Harold Lawson founded a commercial facilities company.
Janitorial contracts.
Hospital maintenance.
Corporate campuses.
Not glamorous.
Profitable.
He sold most of it five years before his death.
When Harold died, he left money to:
Judith.
Dustin.
Dustin’s sister Caroline.
And separate trusts for grandchildren.
Meadow was the only grandchild at the time.
I knew she had “something for college.”
That was how Dustin described it.
Rebecca obtained the trust summary through my rights as Meadow’s custodial parent.
Approximate value:
$3.8 million.
I stared.
“College?”
Rebecca raised an eyebrow.
“Technically it can fund education.”
“What else?”
“Health. Housing related to her welfare. Developmental services. Extraordinary care.”
“Who controls it?”
“Independent corporate trustee.”
“Then Dustin can’t take money?”
“He can request distributions as parent.”
“Has he?”
Rebecca slid over a preliminary statement.
Family Support Reimbursements.
$8,400.
$7,900.
$11,200.
$6,800.
Month after month.
“What is this?”
“Caregiving and developmental support.”
“For whom?”
“Meadow.”
I laughed.
“She goes to public kindergarten.”
“Apparently she also receives intensive family behavioral supervision.”
“No.”
Another line.
Provider:
Judith Lawson.
I stopped breathing.
May you like
Judith had been paid to “provide behavioral structure” for my daughter.
Approximately $86,000 over eighteen months.
