Appointing a Guardian for your child.
Although estate plan and its related documents helps protect your assets and that of your desired beneficiaries, it still covers making protective plans for your kids. With a proper estate document, you can appoint a guardian for your child. A guardian also called conservator act to protect a minor placed in their care. They are responsible for protecting, educating and guiding the kid. Asides that they bring to reality the wishes of a deceased parent over their living child. In some cases, minor kids are named beneficiary of estate properties, but would be unable to get it until they turn of age; usually 18 years in Fort Lauderdale.
Factors to consider when appointing a guardian for your child.
Your location and that of the guardian.
When a guardian is appointed, he or she would not just leave his life and move to change location. As such you need to consider where you live and where the guardian stays. Many parents ask too much of a guardian when they don’t consider their place of resident. Most likely, when properly planned, the minor might move in with guardian.
What is the financial situation of the guardian?
You need to consider if the guardian is in a stable position to handle and take responsibility of a child. Not every person can take up taking care of anybody placed in their case. Does the guardian have a stable job and income, or would he need to take a second and third job to be financially okay? You need to consider all these.
Consider their morals and beliefs on raising a child.
Not everyone share the same ideology on child’s parenting. It is important to know your guardian has the same opinion as you before naming them for your child. Also consider their political, religious and moral beliefs. A wrong choice of guardian would be someone who doesn’t share common stance of raising a child.
Determine if they are interested in becoming a guardian.
Before going ahead to name a guardian, you need to first speak to whom you would like to appoint and get their go ahead. It might be complicated, perhaps frustrating if an individual named as a guardian do not know before appointed. You could be up for some serious probate and court issues if you don’t get the nod to name an individual as a guardian.
Make proper estate plans.
You can only implement your desires over your kids through a proper estate plan. Estate document such as last will and trust would help you appoint guardian.
Wills
A will is an estate planning document by which you can transfer assets to your named beneficiaries after your death. As in the case of naming a guardian, you would name the guardian for your kids in the will.
Requirements for a valid Will
The legal requirements to write a valid will in Fort Lauderdale are consistent with those of other states. They are as follows; the individual must be 18 or older, they must be of a sound mental capacity at the time the will was created, the will must be in writing, it must bear the signature of the testator along with those of at least two witnesses who must be present at the time the testator signs the will, each witness must also witness the signature of the other witness. These requires are however, further subject to the estate laws in Fort Lauderdale at a certain time.
Essential estate planning tips.
- Estate plans can be made to reflect and implement your mid, short and long term plans. However, you can speak with an estate planning lawyer to know suitable documents that would reflect the right guardian plan for your kids.
- Since estate plans are made in preparation for any uncertain life occurrences, you need the right lawyers to ensure your desires and plans are duly implemented.
- Our estate planning lawyers in Fort Lauderdale would guide you through any probate process. Also, the estate lawyer can step in a play the role of the executioner of your estate plan.
- The living trust is an essential estate document. While other estate document such as last will may go through probate before it can be implemented, the living trust allows transfer of assets without any probate process.
Contact a Fort Lauderdale Estate Planning Lawyer
Estate planning can be a tough task, depending on how you want your estate to be planned. Ever more complicated is planning it all by yourself. To ensure that your estate is well planned, it is best you contact a professional, one who is quite conversant with estate planning and the estate planning laws in Fort Lauderdale.
If you reside in Fort Lauderdale and you need help regarding the planning of your estate, you can contact our estate planning lawyer in Fort Lauderdale.