5 Things To Consider When Designating A Guardian In Your Will

While it’s kind of a morbid conversation to have, once welcoming your bundle of joy into this world there’s an important decision you’re going to want to make; in the event of your death, who do you want to raise your child(ren)? Here are 5 things to consider when choosing a guardian for your child(ren) in the event of your untimely passing.

Will the person I designate likely live until my child is at least 18 years old? 

If you answered ‘no’, it’s probably not a great idea to choose this person. Losing one guardian is hard enough and you don’t want to have to put your child(ren) through that twice.

Will the person I designate respect my parenting wishes? 

You work extremely hard to be the type of parent you know you want and need to be, so think equally as hard about who will follow your parenting style/wishes.

Will this person be able to support my child financially? 

The fact of the matter is, you may not be able to leave behind any finances to help raise your child. Are you choosing someone who will be able to take on a new financial burden?  This is especially important to consider if you are unable to make provisions for the extra costs the guardian will undoubtedly incur.

Am I choosing this guardian based on someone else’s feelings/not trying to cause family drama rather than what is best for my child? 

Choosing a friend over a family member or one sibling over another may be a tough choice to make, but this isn’t about protecting everyone’s feelings; this is about who you want to raise your child if you are unable to.

Have I considered who I do NOT want raising my child when making this decision, and made that known in my will?

Sure you have an idea of who might be a good fit, but have you listed the people whom you do not want to be involved in your child’s upbringing? Make sure you specify who can NOT obtain guardianship of your child because, after your death, you don’t have any say.