Parent of a Young Child
“I’m too young to get a will done; nothing is going to happen to me for a while.” “That’s something my parents need to think about.” “Yes, I have little kids, but there’s not much of an estate to get a Will done yet.” I hear these comments often from couples with young children.
If you have young children and something happens to you and you should pass away, who will take care of them? It is not anything we as parents ever want to think about. Deciding who would be the guardian is often a difficult decision to make because you may not have any relatives nearby or you don’t want to hurt the feelings of family members you do not choose to be guardians. If you don’t write a Will and include who should be your child or children’s guardian, the State will decide where your child will go after you die. What a frightening thought! This could mean your child goes to the one family member you did not want to be the guardian and/or you never thought they would even be interested because the State believes them to be the best guardian.
Or the person you think you would like to put in your Will as a guardian is a very caring person but is not very responsible with money, so again, you are afraid to put this person’s name down in a Will. A Will has that problem solved as it allows you to choose a guardian to take care of your children and to make medical decisions for them, but it also allows for you to name a separate guardian to be in charge of the money or property your children may inherit and how that is spent.
So while you may not believe you have much of an estate and do not need to bother with having a Will yet, having one prepared for you by an estate planning attorney is critical if you care who will take care of your children if you should pass away while they are still young. If you are unsure who should be your children’s guardian, and that is keeping you from getting a Will done, consult with an estate planning attorney. He or she can help guide you in making that incredibly important decision.