Choosing someone to look after your children when you are gone is obviously a tough decision. Appointing a Guardian in your Will can be one of the toughest decisions to make, and it is not as simple as just choosing mom, dad or a family member to be Guardian of your children. There are many aspects to consider when it comes to appointing a Guardian. Here are some important issues to consider about selecting a Guardian:
- Will your spouse be onboard with your choice for Guardian? What happens if you and your spouse sit down to do a Last Will and Testament only to discover that you each want to choose your own set of parents to be Guardians for your children?
- Will your Guardian outlive you? Many people may choose their own parents as Guardians for their children, but you also have to consider the fact that your own parents may not outlive you. If that is the case, who is really the ideal person to look after your children?
- If mom and dad are not the best choices as suitable Guardians, you may want to look at family members, such as brothers or sisters to look after your children. Is that something your spouse would want?
- If you were to choose a relative to look after your children, would your spouse find that person a suitable candidate?
- Consider what would happen if you picked one person to be Guardian over another, would that offend someone else? Even though you might offend someone, at the end of the day you have to do what is right and choose the person who would be best suited to look after your kids.
- Does your choice of Guardian have the same religious, cultural and even dietary values as you? Does your Guardian get along well with your children?
These are the biggest questions to consider. It is always best to sit down and have a talk with your spouse before anything is written up or documented in a Will. When you do decide to draft your Last Will and Testament, consider the fact that FormalWill has a system where you can appoint a Guardian and alternate Guardians for your children in your Will. That way you can be assured that there is always someone there to look after your children in the event that one of your selections for a Guardian are unable to.