6 Steps to Select and Name the Right Guardians for Your Children—Part 2
Last week, we shared the first part of our series on selecting and naming the right guardians for your children. Here in part two, we discuss the final three steps in the process.
4) Narrow candidate list, and rank your choices
When you’ve come up with all of the potential candidates for guardian, narrow down the list to your top five people. There’s no guarantee that your ideal candidate(s) will be willing to serve as guardian, so having more than one or two is a practical necessity.
To aide in this process consider some questions: Who really loves your children? Who do your kids really get along with? Will this person be physically, mentally, and emotionally able to raise your kids to adulthood? The most important thing is to choose SOMEONE, even if you aren’t 100% sure about them since you can always select a new guardian later. Then rank your choices from top choice down to last. Again, backups are critical in case your first choice cannot serve.
5) Sit down with top candidates and discuss what’s involved
When it comes to asking someone to be your child’s guardian, you need to provide crystal-clear guidance about what’s involved. The discussion should cover all of your expectations about how you want your kids raised. Speak openly about finances, discipline, education, spirituality, and any needs that are unique to your children.
Give them a few days or a week after the discussion before they make their final decision. Even if they seemed completely on board during the talk, this could be more than a decade long commitment, depending on the age of your children. If they don’t carefully think it over, the responsibility can easily turn into resentment.
6) Legally document your plan
It’s essential to legally document your choice as soon as possible because verbal commitments mean nothing in the eyes of the law, especially when you name a friend over a family member.
For a quick and easy way to legally document your plan, visit our website to go through these steps and create legal documents naming guardians for the long-term care of your children, absolutely free. The entire process takes only 15-20 minutes, so you can immediately get this urgent matter taken care of.
After you’ve used our website to name your legal guardians, you can then work with us as your Personal Family Lawyer® to create a more comprehensive plan that includes all of the necessary legal documents to ensure the well-being of your children and the assets you’re leaving behind, no matter what happens.
With us as your Personal Family Lawyer®, you’ll have a trusted advisor who can help you navigate all of the legal, insurance, financial, and tax issues involved with estate planning. Indeed, we can put a plan in place that not only protects and provides for your children, but your entire family.
This article is a service of Levi Alexander, Personal Family Lawyer®. 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 Family Wealth Planning 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 Family Wealth Planning Session and mention this article to find out how to get this $750 session at no charge.
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