Tragedy is an unfortunate reality in this world. It could be a drunk driver running a red light, an airplane crash, or a boating mishap that leaves someone’s children without a parent. In such a case, who would raise your children? Will it be a judge who picks that person, or have you taken the steps to name a guardian in your Will or other estate planning documents?
Few decisions in your life will be as hard as choosing the people to act as guardians for your children if you are unable to act. However, as difficult as it can be to imagine other people raising your children, it is probably the most important decision you can make. The guardian will not only be the person who will be responsible for the welfare of your children, but will also be the one responsible for instilling your values in them.
Of all the key players in your estate plan, do you want to leave the decision of your children’s guardian up to the courts? It has been said that if you can imagine the very worst person to raise your child, this is exactly the person the court will appoint. While I don’t know that is true, it is critically important that you decide now who you would want to raise your children.
How do you go about selecting a guardian? Consider these simple questions:
• Is this person physically able to take on the responsibilities? Is the person battling a
serious disease or disabled? Is he/she too old at this point to raise your toddler who
goes non-stop all day?
• Is this person emotionally able to take on this responsibility? Let’s face it, some
people are not built to raise children. Consider if he/she possess the
temperament and patience to raise your child. Furthermore, he/she may not
have yet achieved the necessary maturity to raise a child.
• Is this person’s life stable and consistent? You may not want to pick the person who
is transferred for their job every year, causing your children to constantly be
up-rooted.
• Will this person instill your values in your child? If your religious faith is of critical
importance, then you will want to appoint someone who will fully honor those
wishes. However, beyond your religious beliefs, does this person honor your
value system and will he/she teach your child those values?
• Does this person have the financial means to take on the responsibility? Often, you
should be able to provide for your child’s welfare through insurance or other assets.
However, if this person is financially irresponsible, you might run into issues.
While it’s certainly a tough decision, if you think of these questions in selecting your children’s guardian, you will be able to rest assured that if tragedy strikes, your children will be in the best hands possible.
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