CAN you afford to put-off Legally Protecting Your Kids?
Published on September 9, 2019
Matthew C. Tramm - Founder of Tramm law firm, PLLC
As a relatively new parent of a precious two-year-old girl – I know what it is like.
Your family is the most important thing is the world to you. You (and your spouse) are working long hours to provide a good life for your family and you spend what remains of your free time trying to enjoy the life you are building.
My daughter Maddie and I together on Father’s Day this year in White Bear Lake.
Life flies by and you stay busy.
But every once in a while, you have that nagging question pop into your head that all parents get from time to time.
"What would happen to my children if something happened to me?"
Its not something any of us like to think about.
Yes, of course you have life insurance, but what about the legal details?
Who would actually end up taking care of your kids?
Would this individual(s) have legal authority to start taking care of your children immediately without any interruption?
Would they be available to immediately come directly to your home if something happened?
What would happen if they couldn’t?
Would the babysitter know how to handle a horrible situation like this?
Your kids certainly wouldn’t have to spend any time in state custody. Would they?
Also, about that life insurance you have, would you really want your kids getting that lump sum the day they turn 18 or 21?
What would you have done with a hundreds of thousands or even a million dollars in cash on your 21st birthday?
You want to protect your kids - you want a solution that addresses these issues.
You start to look at how to do it yourself online but you can’t find answers that address even half of these questions.
You don't have the time for this.
But this keeps bothering you because you know your kids deserve to be protected from conflict and uncertainty if something ever happens to you.
Maybe you even talk to a lawyer. He wants you to name a guardian in your will and leave it at that.
Does he actually specialize in this area?
Or is he just a paper pusher using the same forms you could get online? His solution doesn’t even seem to address most of the concerns you have.
You try to forget about this but that nagging thought eventually pops back into your head.
Your kids depend on you for everything and you know you owe it to them to figure this out at the very least.
You ask yourself “Isn’t there someone local that I could speak to face-to-face and trust to answer these questions and put the right solution in place for my family?”
So what can you do?
If you want to have peace of mind again you need a comprehensive plan that addresses all of these following issues:
1) Choose the right long-term guardians using a non-emotional process
2) Choose the right short-term/emergency guardians that live no more than 20 minutes from your home
3) Legally document your choices so that they are actually honored if the time ever comes
4) Establish legal documentation and instructions for your guardians
5) Establish instructions for schools and caregivers to call
6) Document instructions for your long-term guardians about what to do if called upon and where to find your long-term guardianship documents
7) Leave your long-term guardians specific instructions about how you want your kids raised and the values, insights, stories and experiences you want to leave for your children
8) Exclude people you would never want considered to raise your children so they can never challenge your decisions in court
9) Establish the criteria or ages at which point your children will have outright access to life insurance proceeds (if ever)
Most people don’t have the time or technical expertise to put something like this in place themselves. You actually want to enjoy the small amount of free time you do have with your family – not spend it trying to figure out how to draft documents.
You may be asking yourself “Where would I even begin to set something like this up?”
I am a dad and an attorney and I have built my law practice around helping fellow parents implement exactly these types of plans to address all of the questions and issues posed above. One of my greatest rewards is seeing parents get the peace of mind that comes from knowing that that they have done their duty by their children in this regard.
Does finally getting rid of that nagging thought and getting back to focusing on your children sound attractive to you?
I would love to help you and give you your time back.
Feel free to setup a time to chat for 15 minutes by filling out the form at the bottom of this page. I'll give you some quick insight into how our plans can help you accomplish all of your goals, protect your children, and give you your piece of mind back.
TESTIMONIALS
“I am so happy I booked my call with Matt. I knew I needed to appoint guardians but had no idea where to start the process. I learned there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution and it helps to speak with someone who has done this many times before,” - Jennifer H. - New Brighton, MN
“Obviously, this was not something I wanted to think about, but with my husband and I planning to go to Mexico without the kids, I wanted to get it taken care of. Matt even helped us appoint a medical power of attorney for our children so that my mom wouldn’t have trouble getting my kids the medical care if they needed it while we were out of town. I finally got peace of mind about the issue!” - Tammi S. - St. Paul, MN
“Don’t put this off any longer!” Scott A. - Champlin