My second son, Jonah Golshani, was born on August 13, 2009. With his arrival, I recognized the need to re-evaluate the choices I had made for guardians with the arrival of my first son. Some of the thoughts that crossed my mind were: Would my in-laws (that were originally nominated as guardian for my first son) be willing and/or able to care for two children? Were my in-laws too elderly now for such a role? Would any of my other relatives be more suitable for such a role?
A guardian of the person is the individual(s) who would be responsible for the upbringing of your children should you be unable to care for them yourself. One of the most common changes that young families make to their estate plans is the individual(s) whom they have nominated as guardian for their children. And for good reason. The following are some reasons that parents decide to change guardians:
1. The person originally nominated was capable of caring for one child but is incapable or unwilling to raise two or more children.
2. The parents have grown apart from the people that were originally nominated guardian.
3. The parents have been disappointed with the level of involvement that the nominated guardian has shown in their child’s life.
4. The person originally nominated as guardian has advanced in years and is no longer healthy and/or vibrant enough to care for children.
5. The person originally nominated as guardian has now gone through a divorce and can no longer accept such a responsibility.
6. The person originally nominated was a stay-at-home parent and has now chosen to return to work.
7. The children have grown closer to a family member other than the individual(s) originally nominated.
8. The individual originally nominated has moved away and the parents want their children to remain in the same geographic area.
9. The individual originally nominated has too many other obligations and is unable or unwilling to take on such a role.
And the list goes on.
So, as you can see, for a myriad of reasons, it may be necessary to update your guardian nominations to ensure that the right people would care for your children if you could not do so yourself.
If you need assistance in re-evaluating your decisions, please do not hesitate to contact our office at 661-362-0770.