Protecting Your Children’s Future
Did you know that almost 70% of parents have yet to appoint guardians for their children? Even more concerning, out of the parents who have taken this step, the majority have fallen into one of six common pitfalls. Find out what these errors are by downloading our free report, and then book a Family Wealth Planning Session with us to ensure you don’t make the same mistakes.
A Simple Will Does Not Guarantee Your Children’s Welfare If The Unforeseen Occurs
As a parent of minor children, or children with special needs, your first priority when planning your estate should be to ensure that your children are always cared for by the individuals you trust, in the manner you prefer, regardless of what the future holds. At Bryant & O'Connor Law Firm, we focus on helping parents like you put together plans to safeguard the children you cherish.
Without Proper Planning, The Unexpected Could Lead To Unpleasant Consequences
Without clear guidelines, your children could end up in the custody of the Department of Family and Children’s Services (DFCS), even with a will or living trust. Worse still, they could be left in the hands of a family member you would never want to raise them.
A judge, who is unfamiliar with you or your family, will end up deciding who will care for your kids, potentially selecting someone you wouldn’t want. Probate, a court process, could consume about 5% of your total asset value, depriving your children of necessary resources. Upon turning 18, your children could receive whatever remaining assets without any protective measures.
Additionally, there are individuals who use public records to identify and exploit 18-year-olds inheriting money. Most estate planning lawyers don’t address these potential pitfalls or plan from a parent’s perspective.
These risks concern us too, which is why we include a Kids Protection Plan® with estate plans that we create for families with young children.
What Does A Kids Protection Plan® Entail?
A Kids Protection Plan® consists of a combination of you becoming educated and you putting together a series of instructions and documents that aimed at protecting your children. It’s an essential toolkit for parents with dependent children.
In case of an accident, your Kids Protection Plan® makes it much less likely that your children would be placed with DFCS, left with strangers, or anyone you wouldn’t want because the authorities lack your clear instructions. Moreover, your Kids Protection Plan® tells authorities clearly who you want caring for your kids.
To get started with a plan to protect your children’s future, contact us online or call us at 912-788-5095 to schedule your Family Wealth Planning Session.
Not Ready To Meet With A Lawyer? You Can Still Protect Your Children
Even if you aren’t ready to schedule a Family Wealth Planning Session with our firm, we still want to offer you an opportunity to name guardians for your children. In 10 minutes, this FREE website will ensure that you have nominated both “emergency on-call” guardians and “permanent” guardians for your minor children. You can also put in writing who you would not want to have guardianship over your kids. We would rather you have this than nothing. Just please note that the documents that you create on your own are not reviewed by an attorney and do not constitute legal advice or work product.
These free documents also do not offer protection for your children with regard to any financial resources or property that you might intend to leave them. If you own property and are concerned about the financial care of your children, we would encourage you to call us at 912-788-5095 and ask how you can get a Family Wealth Planning Session at no cost. If you meet the conditions for a free planning session, you would not pay us anything unless you decide it makes sense to plan with us.
The estate planning attorneys at Bryant & O'Connor Law Firm assist families and individuals throughout central and southeast Georgia from our office location in Vidalia.
