April 15, 2019

A major concern for parents of minor children is who will be appointed in the will to take care of the child if the parents pass away. If both of the parents play a relatively equal role in raising the child together, whether it is through the participation of both, or in the case of divorce or separation, individual time with each parent for the child. Your will is the best way to plan ahead for this potential situation.

The primary concern for both active parents is what happens if both of them were to pass away. In situations in which only one parent is active, it is equally important to ensure that an individual is named in the will so that the child is well cared for.

Major issues associated with who will raise the child and who is responsible for supervising property left to the child come up in the estate planning conversation and process you discuss with an attorney.

Make sure you think about the person who is the best choice to serve in this role, someone who is comfortable serving in the job, and whether or not there are any potential conflicts that could emerge in this or other situations.

Estate planning is often complicated and can heighten emotions and increase the potential for conflict if you have not chosen the person who is comfortable serving in this role because he or she does not understand all of the true implications of what is being asked of them.