A comprehensive estate plan can protect the things that matter most. For many, this means their property and their family.
Including provisions for the care of your children in your estate plan is essential for peace of mind. But many parents struggle with including such provisions as naming a legal guardian for their child in their plan. Indeed, even the fictional parents in the popular television sitcom Modern Family struggled with this issue. Jay and Gloria, his new and much younger wife, agonized and argued about who they should name as a legal guardian for their children.
They knew that without proper planning their children were left at risk if something ever happened to them. Without properly naming guardians in a legal document, a judge would make the decision for them. Not ideal, under any circumstances.
When naming a legal guardian for your minor children, there are many factors to consider, such as whether the guardian has similar values to yours or can provide a welcoming home environment. But the toughest decisions are often the most important. Consider the outcome if you died without having legal protections for your children in place. Your children could be subject to conflict between relatives or they could be raised by someone you would never want, or in a way you wouldn’t want. They could even temporarily be taken into the care of strangers.
Identifying and naming a legal guardian for your children in your estate plan is a difficult and important task. Don’t put off naming a legal guardian for your child. While thinking about what will happen to your child if you die is difficult even for fictional parents, your kids deserve the protection and you deserve the peace of mind that a legal guardian can provide.
Unfortunately, even if you have made the hard decisions and worked with a lawyer to name legal guardians in a Will, your kids could still be at risk, because that would not take into account what happens if you become incapacitated, or if your named guardians all live far from your home, and it wouldn’t protect against anyone who may challenge your decisions. The only way to ensure your kids are raised by the people you want, in the way you want, never taken into the care of strangers (even temporarily) and that your kids would never be raised by anyone you wouldn’t want, is by creating a comprehensive CPS Toolkit, which only a select few lawyers, like us, are trained to prepare.
If you are ready to take that step, start by sitting down with us. As your lawyer, we can walk you step by step through creating a comprehensive CPS Toolkit that not only names a legal guardian for your child in your Will, but also ensures your child care is fully provided for, in the short-term and the long-term, and in the event of your incapacity.
Working with a trusted lawyer will ensure your entire family is protected and cared for no matter what.
This article is a service of David W. Weygandt. We don’t just draft documents, we ensure you make informed and empowered decisions about life and death, for yourself and the people you love. That's why we offer a Wisdom | Harmony Session during which you will get more financially organized than you’ve ever been before, and make all the best choices for the people you love. You can begin by calling our office today to schedule a Wisdom | Harmony Session and mention this article to find out how to get this $750 session at no charge.
