Don’t Leave Your Children With The Babysitter Until You Read This
As we enter into the third year, the pandemic has forced many of us to face our own mortality like no other event in recent memory. Some of those worst-case scenarios we thought would never happen now seem much more likely, and for some people, those unthinkable situations have even become reality.
Understanding The Risks
The fact remains that we are all vulnerable to serious illness or injury, regardless of how young or healthy we are. And if you are a parent, one of the most frightening aspects of that reality is knowing that should something happen to you, your children would be left without you to care for them, whether only for a temporary period or permanently.
With this in mind, consider the following scenario: You and your spouse are out to dinner, and your kids are at home with the babysitter. On your way home, you get into a car accident. When you fail to make it home on time, the babysitter calls you repeatedly, but when no one answers, she calls the police.
The police arrive and find your kids with the babysitter, who doesn’t have the legal authority to care for the children—even temporarily—the police have no choice but to call Child Protective Services. These authorities will take your children into custody until they can locate and/or appoint the proper guardian.
What’s more, your kids are still at risk of being taken by the authorities even if you’ve named legal guardians for them in your will. That’s because your will only becomes operative in the event of your death, so if you are incapacitated by an accident or illness, your will would be ineffective.
Most Guardianships Are Lacking
These are just a few of the many scenarios that can cause your children to be taken into custody by strangers or placed with a family member you would never want caring for them. And sadly, we see this happen even to those parents who’ve worked with lawyers to name legal guardians for their children in their will because most lawyers simply don’t know what’s necessary for planning and ensuring the well-being and care of minor children.
However, as a Personal Family Lawyer® firm, we can support the unique needs of families with minor children. We offer a comprehensive system known as the Kids Protection Plan®, which is included with every estate plan we prepare for families with young children.
The full Kids Protection Plan® includes all of the following:
• Legal documents to name short-term guardians, who can be there immediately for your children, so they will never be taken into the arms of strangers or
anyone you wouldn’t want. Not even for a moment.
• Letters to the people you name as short-term guardians, so the people you have named will know just what to do if called upon.
• Instructions to everyone who takes care of your kids as to exactly what to do if you are in an accident, so there’s never any question about what to do or who to
call.
• Legal documents to name long-term guardians, who will raise your children just as you would, so there is no family feuding over your children.
• Letters to your long-term guardians, letting them know exactly what to do if called upon.
• Instructions and guidelines for your long-term guardians on how you want your kids to be raised to ensure your kids are raised with your values, insights,
stories, and experience.
• Medical powers of attorney for your minor children, so the next time they travel without you or you travel without them, you know they will get the medical care
they need.
• A custom, personalized I.D. card for your wallet stating that you have minor children at home and who should be contacted if you are in an accident.
Here’s How To Get Started
While you should meet with us to put the full Kids Protection Plan® in place as soon as possible, protecting your children is such a critical and urgent issue, we’ve created a totally free website, where you can visit to get your plan started right now.
Get started here now: https://connors.law/kids-protection-plan After you’ve completed those initial actions, schedule a Family Wealth Planning Session™ with us, where we will put the full Kids Protection Plan® in place, and determine if there is anything else your family might need to ensure the well-being and care of your children no matter what happens.
This article is a service of CONNORS LAW, a Personal Family Lawyer® firm. We don’t just draft documents; we ensure you make informed and empowered decisions about life and death, for yourself and the people you love.
That's why we offer a Family Wealth Planning Session,™ during which you will get more financially organized than you’ve ever been before, and make all the best choices for the people you love. You can begin by calling our office today to schedule a Family Wealth Planning Session and mention this article to find out how to get this $750 session at no charge.
