Who will care for your children in the event that you and your spouse pass on before they reach age 18? Have you thought about this, or are you simply assuming that a loved one will step in and ensure their well-being?
The last thing you want to do is leave this decision up to the court. Doing so puts someone else in charge, meaning that you don’t have control over the situation. Subsequently, the wrong person could end up gaining guardianship of your children – and that’s a risk you don’t want to take.
As you make your list of potential guardians, you should also create a list of questions that you’ll ask these people. Here are just a few of the more basic ones:
- Are you comfortable with the idea of becoming the guardian of my children?
- Are you familiar with the responsibilities of becoming a guardian, such as those related to medical care?
- Are you confident in your ability to become a guardian without notice?
Along with the above, there’s one more question you should ask: do you have any questions for me?
You don’t want to force someone into agreeing to this. Even though you hope it never comes into play, it could. So, you want to make sure that the guardian you name is 100 percent on board with what they’re signing up for.
You have to make a lot of decisions when creating an estate plan, but none are more important than naming the right guardian for your minor children. Once you make this decision, you’ll feel better about the well-being of your children in the event that disaster strikes.
If you have questions about naming a guardian, don’t hesitate to contact us. We’ll walk you through the process, ensuring that you name the right guardian in your estate plan.
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