Child Guardian Plan: The Most Important Back-to-School Prep You Should Do

We know that for families August tends to be geared towards the kids going back to school!

Now that you have everything ready for back-to-school... Have you prepared them in case you

are in an accident? Do they have guardians set up to take care of them?

If you have minor children, then this will be the most important back-to-school preparation

you do all year.

Here's Why.

Years ago, when I first hired an estate planning attorney, they guided me (as was traditional for estate planning lawyers) to name guardians for my two daughters in my will. However, I later learned that this method of estate planning misses something crucial for parents of minor children! The terrifying truth about what would happen to my daughters if I was in an accident stunned me: My kids could be taken into protective custody or even foster care until the police can figure out who has legal authority to take them- even if I’ve named legal guardians for them in my will!

Once I learned this frightening reality, I decided to dedicate my estate planning practice to ensuring that the clients who trust us to do their estate plan receive a complete and comprehensive estate plan. This includes naming both short-term AND long-term legal guardians for your children in case of an emergency.

If you have been thinking about how to best protect your kids this school year, then rest assured, we can help you!

Pencils? Check. Paper? Check. Child Guardian Plan? Double-check!

Law Offices of Leslie Sultan offers a unique approach to help parents protect their minor children, in the event of an emergency. Our comprehensive Child Guardian Plan allows you to list the names of people that you would like to serve as long-term guardians of your children, in the event of your incapacity or death.

But what if the long-term guardian is out-of-state or unreachable?

There is a solution, and that's to also name short-term guardians into your Child Guardian Plan.

Short-term guardians are usually family members or trusted friends that have the legal authority to pick up your kids from school or take care of your kids until the legal long-term Guardian is available to take them. (For more info about the Child Guardian Plan, watch this short 3-minute video by clicking here.)

Please don’t hesitate to call us to discuss this important topic to protect your minor children. 516-908-ULAW (8529)

About the Author

Leslie Sultan Esq.

Leslie has been practicing law since 2009 and is the host of the estate planning podcast 'Legacy Purse'. She has a long history of representing family members struggling to inherit property and/or wealth from deceased family members through the Probate Courts. Knowing how time-consuming and expensive the probate process is, Leslie takes great pride in helping her clients learn how to plan and protect their families during their lives so they can avoid the probate court process and save their loved ones that additional grief (and expense).