{"id":282,"date":"2016-06-06T10:16:43","date_gmt":"2016-06-06T17:16:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ogbornelaw.com\/?p=282"},"modified":"2023-07-24T21:52:07","modified_gmt":"2023-07-24T21:52:07","slug":"guardianship-issues-estate-planning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/webtechs-designs.com\/2023Ogborne\/guardianship-issues-estate-planning\/","title":{"rendered":"Guardianship Issues in Estate Planning"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>As parents, it\u2019s a topic we don\u2019t even want to consider, much less talk about: us dying before our children are 18. But part of the responsibility of being a parent is ensuring your children are cared for, even if you\u2019re no longer there to be the one providing that care and support.<\/p>\n<p>If you leave their lives while they\u2019re still minors, you have a big role to fill for them, finding a suitable \u201cparent,\u201d or guardian, to help steer them into adulthood.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_76 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/webtechs-designs.com\/2023Ogborne\/guardianship-issues-estate-planning\/#What_Is_a_Guardian\" >What Is a Guardian?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/webtechs-designs.com\/2023Ogborne\/guardianship-issues-estate-planning\/#Choosing_a_Guardian\" >Choosing a Guardian<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/webtechs-designs.com\/2023Ogborne\/guardianship-issues-estate-planning\/#Assign_a_Temporary_Guardian\" >Assign a Temporary Guardian<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Is_a_Guardian\"><\/span>What Is a Guardian?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>A guardian is a person who manages a minor child\u2019s needs, including providing food, shelter, education, and medical care.<\/p>\n<p>That person also typically manages the finances of the children, whether they are providing financial support directly or are managing a trust or inheritance left by you.<\/p>\n<p>Although a guardian relationship is legally binding, it does not take the place of the parent-child role. That can only occur if the child is adopted by the guardian, at which point the adult transitions from legal guardian to legal parent.<\/p>\n<p>What you might not know is that a guardian can also be the children\u2019s parent. If the children receive an inheritances\u2014for instance, following a divorce when one parent dies and leaves assets to the children, who are then cared for by the other parent\u2014the surviving parent may choose to obtain legal guardianship of those children.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s because the courts are not too keen on giving parents oversight of children\u2019s finances for fear that they might misuse them. The guardianship, however, outlines legal and fiscal obligations that benefit the children in such circumstances.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Choosing_a_Guardian\"><\/span>Choosing a Guardian<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>If you married and you die but your spouse lives (assuming that person is your children\u2019s parent), your children will legally be their responsibility. Likewise, if you are divorced and have a co-parent in the picture, your child\u2019s other parent will probably take on full-time responsibility if you are no longer alive.<\/p>\n<p>In cases of divorce, giving full-time parenting duties to your children\u2019s other parent may not always be the best option for them, especially if domestic violence is an issue.<\/p>\n<p>Since the state\u2019s default is to grant custody to biological parents, you will need to work with an experienced estate-planning attorney to determine what your options are if you don\u2019t want your minor children to go to their other parent.<\/p>\n<p>So what if you don\u2019t have another parent in your children\u2019s life? Or if both of you were to perish at the same time? That\u2019s when you really need to have a serious conversation about which adult in your children\u2019s lives is both appropriate and willing to take over should the need arise.<\/p>\n<p>The smart choice is to speak to the potential guardian and ensure that they are okay with assuming responsibility for your children should you pass away. Many parents choose grandparents, aunts and uncles, older siblings, or close family friends who have a vested interest in the children\u2019s continued wellbeing. However, what you don\u2019t want to do here is assume. Let everyone in on the conversation. It\u2019s unlikely they will be needed, but if they are, they should be ready.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Assign_a_Temporary_Guardian\"><\/span>Assign a Temporary Guardian<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Let\u2019s say that you have named your sister, the children\u2019s Aunt Sally, to be your children\u2019s guardian. But Aunt Sally travels frequently and is abroad when you die.<\/p>\n<p>In that instance, you must name a temporary guardian who is available to care for your children until Aunt Sally is back from her overseas vacation.<\/p>\n<p>Why is this important? Since the state cannot leave children alone, if they do not have a guardian who is able to immediately care for them, they will be placed with Child Protective Services (CPS) until that guardian is available.<\/p>\n<p>This results in a lot of paperwork but, more importantly, a serious jolt for your children. They\u2019re already dealing with losing their parents; don\u2019t let them have to work through the state\u2019s system. You can protect them by naming a temporary guardian.<\/p>\n<p>If you are a parent, you owe it to your children to have a plan in place for their care should you die before they reach the age of 18.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Guardianship is an important part of your estate plan. And our complex lives can make this decision making process a complicated one. With many tangled relationships, it may not always be clear who to choose. Learn more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":11668,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30,37],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-282","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-divorce","category-estate-planning","category-30","category-37","description-off"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Guardianship Issues in Estate Planning<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Guardianship is an important part of your estate plan. And our complex lives can make this decision making process more complicated. 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