Your children are undoubtedly the most important part of your life. Though you may wonder whether you are doing a good job as a parent, you certainly do your best to ensure that your kids feel loved and are well taken care of. You may hope that you will have the ability to always provide that care for your children, but you likely know that the possibility of death, incapacitation or serious injury can result in your children needing a new guardian.
You may feel uneasy with the idea of someone else caring for your young ones. To calm this undesired feeling, you may want to appoint a guardian yourself. During your estate planning process, you can include your wishes for an individual or individuals to act in this role. Before you choose a guardian, you should consider various factors.
Candidate’s residence
You may have someone in mind that you believe would effectively and lovingly care for your kids. However, have you considered where that person lives? You may think that your candidate would pick up everything and move to accommodate the kids, but that may not be the case.
If the appointed guardian does not want to move or cannot move, your kids may have to change location, which could have a considerable impact on their lives. Of course, such a move may not be a significant issue if your candidate is the best one.
Morals and beliefs
Like most New Jersey residents, you likely have a set of beliefs and standards that you hold and that you feel your children should also consider. Therefore, when choosing guardian candidates, you may want to determine whether the individuals have beliefs that align with yours and what you want for your kids.
Parenting skills
Of course, you want your children to receive proper care from their new guardian. Because of this desire, examining your candidate’s parenting skills may also play a significant role in your decision. Though the kids may have a close attachment to an aunt or other relative, if that person cannot truly act as a parent, he or she may not be the best choice.
Making a choice
Because of the significance of this type of decision, it is understandable that you may have some difficulty. However, you will certainly want to make such an appointment so that your kids are not left in the care of a court-appointed guardian. Creating your estate plan early could help you ensure that your children will remain well cared for if you are unable to be there for them.
