When you’re preparing an Estate Plan with children, choosing a potential Guardian for your kids is beyond important. Here are 5 things to consider when picking a potential caregiver:
Reliability
Your potential Guardian should not just have the right temperament, but a track record of financial and personal stability. Spotty employment and trouble managing money should be red flags.
Location
Ideally, the Guardian you choose should live – or commit to living – in an area near your children’s other relatives. This may not always be possible, but it should factor into your decision.
Commitment to faith
If you’ve raised your children in a specific religion, you’ll probably want your Guardian to take them to a church, temple, mosque or other faith-based institution on a regular basis.
Parenting style
If time-outs are your go-to punishment and your potential Guardian thinks a good spanking is more than okay, your differing methods of raising children may be too much to overcome.
Health / Age
From toddlers to teens, taking care of kids can be physically tough. Your potential Guardian should be healthy enough to withstand the rigors of parenting, and young enough to raise your kids into adulthood.