Do You Love Your Family? Why Guardianship Matters Today!
As mothers, we love our children — it is, perhaps, our defining quality.
Everything we do is for and about them in the end. But in the back of our minds, we always labor with the uneasy knowledge that if something were to happen to us, our children could be left in a dire situation.
Here we will discuss one meaningful way you can protect your children against things out of their control by nominating a legal guardian.
What Does It Mean to Designate Guardianship?
A guardianship nomination is a legal document describing how and by whom you wish your minor children to be cared for if you and the other parent dies or becomes incapacitated.
It states who can be appointed to care for your children and act as a legal guardian and how the children should be cared for.
Guardian nomination becomes active once both natural parents lose the ability to care for the children by death, disability, or absence. The nomination must be written within the confines of the law to be recognized by the court as valid.
An estate law attorney like Atlanta Wills & Trusts Law Group can help draft a guardianship nomination that meets your needs and adheres to the legal standard.
When assigning guardianship, courts respect the wishes of parents who choose to nominate a guardian, within the limits of reason.
Why You Should Nominate a Guardian
Here are a few crucial reasons why nominating a guardian is so important.
Death Is a Reality for Everyone
Many young people live as if they will never die. Young parents can fall into this trap, thinking they do not need things like life insurance or a designated guardian for their children in the event of an untimely death.
However, tragedy does strike somewhere on Earth every day, and the responsible thing to do is to ensure that your children will be cared for should tragedy strike close to home.
Sadly, parents do die, and it is our work to help prepare families ahead of time. Kind of like an insurance policy, except the payout is less trauma for your kids!
Young Families Need It Most
It seems like a contradiction at first, but the fact is that the younger your family is — particularly your children — the more critical it is to nominate a guardian. Any child, but mainly very young children, will not be able to speak for themselves when it comes to deciding how they should be cared for and by whom.
By nominating a guardian now, you can ensure that in the event of your death, your children will go into the care of someone you trust, someone you and your children know and who has a meaningful connection with your children. The alternative could be very unpleasant, traumatic, and confusing for your family.
Avoiding Your Children Being Taken by Child Protective Services
Children who become wards of the state are 50% more likely to become victims of abuse according to the CDC. If you and your spouse should die, and there are no living relatives who are deemed suitable to care for your children, CPS will be forced to take custody of your children, and they will be turned over to foster care.
Imagine the horror of losing your parents compounded by being forced to live with strangers. You owe it to your children to have a plan to protect them if the unthinkable should occur.
Protecting Your Values
It is natural that parents raising their children according to certain moral, political, and religious convictions would want their values to continue to be taught to their children by a legal guardian. Part of nominating a guardian is the opportunity to designate how the children are to be educated.
Not only does this make it possible for you to see that your children are raised as you would raise them, but it can also provide a sense of connection with you for your children throughout their lives.
Nominating a guardian is a very personal and serious process that requires legal expertise and the certain knowledge that your chosen guardian is willing and able to care for your children. It is a beautiful way to ensure that you will have a loving presence in their lives even after an untimely death.
To learn more about this important aspect of estate planning, get in touch with Atlanta Wills & Trusts Law Group today.