Tough Conversations Lead to Important Decisions on Child Guardianship
Jan 31, 2012
Brandon, FL (Law Firm Newswire) January 30, 2012 – Estate planning can lead to awkward and often uncomfortable conversations with loved ones, but a well-prepared plan prevents tension and frustration when the time comes for the plan to go into place.
“It is always difficult to have conversations about distant health issues,” said Brandon estate planning attorney Reginald Osenton. “Nobody looks forward to a conversation about death or incapacity.”
All parents should appoint a guardian for their children and have a plan in place if something unforeseen leaves them incapable of raising the children. A qualified attorney can explain what criteria to use in choosing a guardian and how best to put into place safeguards that will provide for the children.
“Choosing a guardian takes some time and will involve some intimate conversations with friends and family,” Osenton said. “If you have an adequate life insurance policy to provide for the children, then the key decision to make is which of my friends or family is best suited to raise my children well.”
Recognizing that children’s needs will change as they grow, some estate planners prefer a guardianship panel made up of close friends or relatives that can make a decision with your children about what is best for them at the time the decision is being made.
“It is important to write down the reasons why you have chosen the people you picked to be guardians or even to be on a guardianship panel,” Osenton said. “When the time comes, your estate’s executor will be able to explain your reasoning better if you left it in writing.”
It is always important to talk to everyone involved, but leaving things in writing prevents faded memories from confusing loved ones when important decisions need to be made. To learn more or to contact a Brandon estate planning attorney or to contact a Brandon lawyer, visit http://www.brandonlawoffice.com.
Osenton Law Office, PA
500 Lithia Pinecrest Road
Brandon, Florida 33511
Call: (813) 654-5777
