Who Will Raise your Children? 12 Questions to Consider in Naming a Guardian
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Naming a Guardian for minor children is one of the most challenging things to do as a parent - and the most important. While I have never taken a poll, I believe that disagreement over who should be Guardian, or a fear of angering a family member, are the key reasons why young families don't carry out their intention to make a Will.
While naming a Guardian is certainly difficult - the emotion of just to considering the idea, the enormity of influence the Guardian will have over the children - not taking action is worse. If you don't name a Guardian, you are leaving it to a judge who never met you and doesn't know your children to decide who raises them - trust me when I say that a total stranger deciding who will raise your children is much worse then any hurt feelings you are worried about.
While the question of Guardianship is hard, it is one of those things that you need to do as a parent - part of the package. Luckily, I came across this great blog post today at Jensen Law - 12 Tips For Choosing A Guardian For Your Children. This article is a wonderful primer on how to deal with a difficult question and reach a decision. It counters the desire to procrastinate by creating a roadmap to get to an answers. Some ideas? Think beyond the obvious choices - friends may be better guardians than family; focus on love and value, not wealth.
Last point - the ONLY place you can name a Guardian is in a Will. If you have children, go to Legalzoom.com to at least get a Will in place TODAY. A computer generated Will is far superior to nothing a all. Don't let your natural desire to avoid a difficult and unpleasant decision leave your children with no parental guidance at a time they need it most.
