If something happens to both you and your spouse, someone else will need to raise your children. While you know that your children need a guardian, you may have trouble deciding who this person should be.
The Pennsylvania Legislature says that you can name someone to act as the legal guardian for your children. Sometimes, you may decide to name more than one person. If you would like a different person to take care of your children depending on the situation, you can explain this in the guardianship papers.
When is a guardian necessary?
When you fill out paperwork, you can usually list which events will trigger someone’s guardianship. For most families, the event will likely be the death of either one or both parents. However, you may choose to name a guardian in case you become incapacitated and cannot take care of your children.
Who should be a guardian?
Designating a guardian may feel challenging, especially if most of your family does not live in Bucks County. What To Expect says that your children’s guardian does not have to live in the same city as you. You may feel reluctant to name someone who lives in another location. However, your ideal candidate may not always be local. You may want to focus more on the qualities you want in a guardian.
In many situations, grandparents may seem like the most natural choice for a guardian. Before you appoint them, consider their health and age. Seniors may experience changes in their health, and grandparents may not be up to raising children as their health declines.
Before you designate a guardian, you may want to speak to all of your candidates. Some people may not feel that they can take on this responsibility.
