Who will look after your children when you’re gone? Sounds melancholic, isn’t it? But this is something that you need to take seriously because you never know what the future has for you. To secure the future of your children, find a trusted company that provides the best professional will writing services.
Appointing a Guardian in Your Will
Custody of children going automatically to next of kin is not always the case to happen. The mother will not always be available to become the guardian. If a child loses parents and no guardian has been appointed before the demise, the court will take over to decide who will be the custodian of the surviving children. What if the judge chose the custodian who is not right for your child? What would you feel? You can’t do anything if you are already deceased.
So, what’s the best thing to do if you have children? You need to make a comprehensive assessment and appoint a suitable guardian in your will. Choose the one that you feel is the best candidate to become the guardian of your children.
Who are the Candidates to Be the Custodian of Your Children?
Choosing the custodian for your child depends on you. The person can be your family member or a close friend. The person you appointed to take care of your children when you’re gone will be advised by the court when you die while your children are under 18.
Can You Appoint Multiple Guardians?
This is a complex undertaking. If you have more than one kid, but they don’t live together, it’s perfectly fine to assign a guardian for each child. On the other hand, this isn’t the usual scenario. When you have been raising your children together, but suddenly a mishap occurs, and soon you’ll die, it would not be reasonable to separate your surviving children. Choose a suitable custodian who is capable of raising all of them.
You can designate multiple guardians even if you have one child. But this option is better if you have more than one child, but the custodians must be a couple. This will give you peace of mind that your children will be taken care of by them through thick and thin.
Your Partner as a Custodian
When you die, your partner is an ideal person to continue raising your surviving children. But according to laws, the person who can be a custodian must have parental responsibility.
What is parental responsibility, by the way? The parent that has parental responsibility has the power and legal rights for the child and child’s assets. The individual who has this are the following:
- Birth mothers
- Couples who are married when the child was born
- Father who is not wedded to his partner, but is listed on the child’s birth certificate
A good couple consults each other before making a final decision. Most of them live together in one roof. But the future custodian that you choose for your child can be different from the person that your partner selects. Well, there should be no problem with this. It’s better to have it that way than having no custodian for your child when any one of you passes away.
