Choosing a guardian for your child if you no longer can care for them can be a daunting task, but it is extremely necessary. If you do not have an appointed guardian and something happens to you, the court system will appoint one for you. There is also a risk that your child may be placed into foster care if the court believes a relative is incapable of caring for the children.
When you begin selecting a guardian, questions may pop into your head such as:
“Is this person capable of raising my child?”
“Will my Child be raised the way I want them to be?”
“What may my child’s future look like?” and more.
To tackle this task, we put together a list of considerations when choosing your child’s guardian.
- Are they a family member?
- Are you close to them?
- Do their values and/or religion align with yours?
- Do you agree with their life decisions?
- Do you agree with how they raise their kids?
- Are they mentally and physically healthy?
- Are they financially stable?
- Do they have the energy and resources to care for your child?
- Do they live close to you or somewhere you’d like your child to grow up?
- Do they have a good relationship with your kids?
- Will they be raised with other kids, and do they get along with them?
- Does this person want to raise your kids?
- What qualities do you want in their guardian?
- What are their holidays and traditions?
- Are they good role models?
- What’s their parenting style?
- What skills and experiences should your child have?
- Does your child have special needs or need special medical care?
We suggest putting together a list of potential guardians and narrowing it down as well as conversing with your top choices about if they feel comfortable with you making this decision. The guardian you ultimately select should be named in your estate plan and we suggest including a letter of instruction with your wishes outlined for how you want your children to be raised. If you need assistance with choosing a guardian, please give us a call so we may assist you.