Brandon Estate Planning Attorney Explains Importance of Picking a Guardian
May 31, 2012
Brandon, FL (Law Firm Newswire) May 31, 2012 – Most of the decisions that need to be made when a family puts together their wills are simple and straightforward. The money goes here. The house goes here. The farm gets sold. The jewelry gets split up, etc.
The complicated decision when it comes time to put together a family will is who will take the young children if something happens to the parents.
“Guardianship is often the trickiest part of drawing up a will,” said Brandon estate planning attorney Reginald Osenton. “It is the part of the process that requires the blessing of other people, so that means it can take more time.”
Finding responsible people to care for minor children when something happens to their parents is the most important part of the process. Families need to take into consideration who will provide a stable environment for the children and who will provide the kind of education the parents would have wanted.
“Sometimes two parents can disagree about who will be the best person to take over raising the kids,” Osenton said. “Sometimes the wife wants her parents to be the No. 1 name on the list and sometimes the husband has a different order in mind. I know it is the last thing they want to be thinking about, but it is an important part of the process.”
Many attorneys suggest having more than one name in the guardianship depth chart. Lots of things can happen between the time a will is written and when it is needed. Osenton suggests having at least three sets of names on the list. “Each set of names needs to have signed off on being on the list,” the Brandon estate planning attorney said.
When interviewing people to determine if they are interested and fit to be the guardians of minor children should something happen to the parents, families need to ask some deeply personal questions. This is why it is normal for parents to choose their parents and their siblings to be high on the guardianship list.
To learn more or to contact a Brandon estate planning attorney or a Brandon estate planning lawyer, visit http://www.brandonlawoffice.com.
Osenton Law Office, PA
500 Lithia Pinecrest Road
Brandon, Florida 33511
Call: (813) 654-5777
