A child is a wonderful addition to your life.
But with their births come several considerations you will need to make regarding your family’s long-term planning. One of the most important decisions a parent will make is choosing your child’s guardian.
Parents do not plan to be absent from their child’s life, but unfortunate incidents do occur, which is why securing a child’s guardianship is so critical. When your child is born, it is important to consult an estate planning attorney in Columbus, Ohio. Our experienced estate planning, probate, and guardianship attorney in the Clintonville/Worthington area can assist you in choosing your child’s guardian and ensuring your estate is properly planned out.
You may understand the importance of this process, but that doesn’t necessarily make choosing a guardian any easier. We have a few quick and easy to follow tips to ensure that you are making the best decision for your child.
Set the Values You Want Instilled in Your Child
The first part of the guardianship selection process is important. You should determine the parental value set that is most important for your child. Make a list of important moral guidelines that mean the most to you. Write them down. This should give you a good starting point for the remaining decision-making process.
List Candidates Who Reflect Your Values
Take the list of values you created. Now, jot down guardian candidates who share the same moral compass you do. It is important that you consider individuals rather than couples. This way you can avoid any complications that can result from divorce. After narrowing down your choices, it is important to consider a few additional factors to determine whether that person makes a suitable candidate for guardianship:
- Can they afford to raise my child?
- Are they emotionally stable enough for parenting a child?
- Are they physically healthy enough to take care of my child?
- Will my child have to substantially relocate to receive care?
- Does my child like this person?
- Will this person truly love my child and raise it to the best of their abilities?
- Is my child going to feel safe with this person?
These are just a few questions you need to consider getting started. There are many other potential considerations each individual parent can add to their list to determine the criteria for guardianship.
Ask Your Selected Candidate
After you have carefully chosen the person you would like to list as the guardian of your child, it is time to ask them for their permission. While obvious, this is an important step before you proceed further in legally establishing guardianship. You will need their permission before entrusting your child to their care.
Consult a Guardianship Attorney
Now that you have done the preliminary work necessary for determining who is the best fit for guardianship of your child, it is time to make it official. Consult with the Columbus guardianship attorney at Obenour Legal Group to properly name your guardian in your will. The trusted attorneys at Obenour Legal Group will ensure that naming your child’s guardian is a seamless process.
About Us
At the Obenour Legal Group, your family works directly with attorney Abbie Obenour throughout your case. We build relationships because we want to be your trusted advisor for current and future legal matters.
Our Worthington Ohio practice is devoted to providing clarity in the legal areas of adoption, surrogacy, divorce, estate planning, probate, elder law, and more. Our firm is one of a handful that focuses on the unique issues that affect unmarried couples and LGBT families. Give us a call at (614) 678-8848 for a free case review.