{"id":871,"date":"2018-04-27T13:58:02","date_gmt":"2018-04-27T20:58:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ogbornelaw.com\/?p=871"},"modified":"2023-07-24T18:03:37","modified_gmt":"2023-07-24T18:03:37","slug":"do-you-need-a-guardian-for-your-children","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/webtechs-designs.com\/2023Ogborne\/do-you-need-a-guardian-for-your-children\/","title":{"rendered":"Do you need a guardian for your children?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ogbornelaw.com\/top-5-most-difficult-estate-planning-decisions\/\">One of the toughest conversations parents have<\/a> is deciding who will\u00a0take their children if something happens to them. In some cases, it\u2019s a conversation that fails to happen because of the emotion and fear involved. No matter how you feel about it, choosing\u00a0a guardian for your children is one of the most crucial things to do. If you don\u2019t, their lives can be turned upside-down and affected severely should the unthinkable happen.<\/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-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/webtechs-designs.com\/2023Ogborne\/do-you-need-a-guardian-for-your-children\/#Bill_and_Theresas_Story\" >Bill and Theresa\u2019s Story<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/webtechs-designs.com\/2023Ogborne\/do-you-need-a-guardian-for-your-children\/#Paul_and_Stephanies_Story\" >Paul and Stephanie\u2019s Story<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/webtechs-designs.com\/2023Ogborne\/do-you-need-a-guardian-for-your-children\/#Choosing_a_Guardian_for_Your_Children\" >Choosing a Guardian for Your Children<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Bill_and_Theresas_Story\"><\/span>Bill and Theresa\u2019s Story<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Bill and Theresa had three children, and during a family vacation, the parents died\u00a0on an excursion while the children spent the day at the hotel\u2019s Kid\u2019s Club. The tragic accident left the children without parents.<\/p>\n<p>Theresa worked as a paralegal and had seen countless cases in family law where there was no guardian for children. As soon as their first child was born, <a href=\"https:\/\/ogbornelaw.com\/estate-planning-basics-where-to-start\/\">she broached the difficult subject<\/a> with Bill, not wanting their children to face those same circumstances. They each created a list of people they trusted and navigated their way through a painful subject\u2014who would raise their children if they couldn\u2019t?<\/p>\n<p>Neither had many family members, and Bill&#8217;s parents suffered from several health issues. Instead, they selected and spoke with a couple they had both known since college. They were close friends, and Bill and Theresa trusted them implicitly. After a conversation with them, they appointed their friends as guardians for their children.<\/p>\n<p>After the accident, the transition &#8211;\u00a0through difficult for the kids &#8211; left no doubt as to where they would go and what Bill and Theresa\u2019s desires were for their care, spiritual guidance, and who they would be raised by. They were able to be placed easily with people who were stable and excellent role models as well. Plus, their friends lived in the same area, so the kids were able to remain at their schools and still participate in their favorite activities. The estate and guardianship were well-written, clear, and made it easy to honor the couple\u2019s choices.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Paul_and_Stephanies_Story\"><\/span>Paul and Stephanie\u2019s Story<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Paul and Stephanie didn\u2019t like to get too in-depth about uncomfortable topics. They had a fun family with two wonderful kids, and they liked to do exciting things. One evening, when the kids were being babysat overnight by Paul\u2019s parents, Stephanie and Paul were killed in a car accident. Without any plans or papers in place, a custody battle began and dragged on for almost two years.<\/p>\n<p>During that time, the children were placed in a <a href=\"https:\/\/ogbornelaw.com\/guardianship-issues-estate-planning\/\">temporary guardianship situation<\/a> with Paul\u2019s parents. It took them away from their home, schools, and friends since Paul\u2019s parents lived an hour away. Meanwhile, Stephanie\u2019s parents felt they would provide the best home for the kids, and since they lived in the same town that Paul and Stephanie had, the kids would get to resume the lives they were familiar with.<\/p>\n<p>The custody battle was intense. A guardian ad litem was assigned, and friends and family were extensively interviewed. Because the children were younger, it wasn\u2019t as easy to ask them where they wanted to be. The already shaky relationship between the grandparents became contentious, and the two that suffered the most were the children.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Choosing_a_Guardian_for_Your_Children\"><\/span>Choosing a Guardian for Your Children<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ogbornelaw.com\/consider-naming-guardians\/\" data-cke-saved-href=\"https:\/\/ogbornelaw.com\/consider-naming-guardians\/\">Choosing a guardian for your children<\/a> isn\u2019t easy, but here are some things to look at:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Make a list, and think beyond obvious choices<\/li>\n<li>Focus on love, values, philosophies, and stability over finances and house size<\/li>\n<li>Consider their age, stamina, location, and connection to your children<\/li>\n<li>Talk to everyone involved, and also ask yourself (if you select a couple) would you be comfortable with either person if they divorced or one person died<\/li>\n<li>Write down all your reasons for your selection<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Thinking about a guardian for your children is tough, but it\u2019s a crucial decision that safeguards their best interests. Prepare for the unexpected and protect your kids if the unthinkable happens &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/ogbornelaw.com\/contact\/\">contact Ogborne Law<\/a> today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Prepare for the unthinkable by choosing a guardian for your children. Avoiding the tough conversation leaves them unprotected, which is why it\u2019s crucial to start thinking about the decision today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":11513,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31,43],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-871","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-family-law","category-family-support","category-31","category-43","description-off"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Do you need a guardian for your children? - Ogborne Law, PLC<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Prepare for the unthinkable by choosing a guardian for your children. 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