How Do I Include Care for My Children in Estate Planning?

To make certain that parents’ wishes are followed, they should create a will that designates a guardian and a conservator in case both parents die, counsels The Choteau (MT) Acantha article entitled “Plan for children’s future when making out a will.”

A guardianship provides for the care of the children, until they reach adulthood (usually age 18) and gives the guardian the authority and responsibility of a parent. A guardian makes decisions about a child’s well-being, education and health. A conservatorship is designed to manage and distribute funds and assets left to children, until they’re age 18. A single individual can be appointed to do both roles, or separate people can be designated as guardian and conservator.

Frequently, the toughest decisions parents have is agreeing who they want to have the responsibility of raising their children and managing their money. Usually they select a person with similar values, lifestyle and child rearing beliefs.

It can be important to talk about the issue with older children, because some states (like Montana) permit children ages 14 and older to ask a court to appoint a guardian, other than the person named in parents’ wills.

You should also name a backup guardian and conservator, in case their first choices aren’t up to the task and review your choices periodically.

In many states, the law stipulates that when children attain the age of 18, they are able to get the property that was in the care of a conservator, no matter what their capability to manage it. Another option is to leave the assets in a trust, rather than a conservatorship.

Parents can provide in their wills the property that they want to pass directly to the trust, which is also called a testamentary trust. These assets can include life insurance payments, funds from checking accounts, stocks, bonds, or other funds. Parents can create a trust agreement with an experienced estate planning attorney that provides their named trustee with the power to manage the trust assets and use the income for their children’s benefit.

The trust agreement goes into effect at the death of both parents. It says the way in which the parents want the money to be spent, who the trustee should be and when the trust ends. The trustee must follow the parents’ instructions for the children.

Reference: Choteau (MT) Acantha (May 13, 2020) “Plan for children’s future when making out a will”