- Name a guardian (and alternates) in your Will or Living Trust.
- You can name anybody – guardians do not have to be family members although parents often choose grandparents, siblings (i.e., aunts and uncles) and cousins to be guardians.
- You can name a single person or a married couple although if you choose a couple to be guardians you will need to decide whether they must be married for them both to be guardians and if it is okay for one of them to remain guardian if there is a death.
- Make a list of all the potential family members and friends who may be good guardians. Ask yourself if the person or persons is stable financially and emotionally, cares about your children and would be approved by a judge to be the guardian(s) of your children.
- Know that the person or persons you choose to be guardians will never be the perfect parents that you are for your children but also consider if the person or persons would be better than a foster family. Don’t let the courts and the “system” make the choice for you.
BOTTOM LINE: YOU MAKE THE CHOICE – NOT SOMEBODY ELSE!