Happy Sunday!

Today I wanted to talk about a common issue I see in estate planning, something that holds a lot of people back from taking action, to their detriment… not being able to decide who your people should be.

For many people this issue surrounds guardians for minor children, so that’s what I’m going to talk about today.

But the message applies no matter the position you are trying to fill – Trustee, Power of Attorney, Medical Power of Attorney, Executor, etc.

I have kids, and I completely understand how difficult it can be to choose the one or two people who will be in charge of raising your kids if something happens to you.

It’s a REALLY important decision and shouldn’t be made lightly.

Here’s the thing though, if you haven’t taken action, you already HAVE made a decision.

You’ve decided to put the ultimate authority for who raises your kids in the hands of the random judge assigned to your probate.

They will make the decision based on who raises their hand and who they think is most appropriate “in the best interests of the child.”

A stranger.

Someone that doesn’t know your values, your philosophy, how you want your kids raised, or anything else about you.

If you haven’t completed your plan this is who you’ve put in charge of that decision.

For that reason, the advice I always give is, if you do not have someone that is a perfect choice, choose the person that is the BEST choice right now.

You can always update your people in the future if things change.

You can always have conversations with those people about your expectations.

And you can do your best to give them the best chance of filling your huge shoes should something happen to you.

So, pick your best option right now, revisit it often (every year or so) and update if better candidates emerge.

That’s how you exercise your ability to make these really important choices.

Have a great week!

Cheers.

Founder/CEO
CMS Law Firm LLC