Having a will alone does not ensure the care of your kids if the unthinkable happens to you.

If you’re a parent of minor children (or those with special needs) who are counting on your, your estate plan must begin with ensuring your children would always be taken care of by the people you want, in the way you want, no matter what happens.

At Family Legacy Legal Group, one of our areas of greatest expertise is planning for the well-being and care of the children you love.

Without advanced legal planning for the care of your children, if the unthinkable happens to you, here’s what could happen:

• your children could be placed into the care of Child Protective Services (yes, even if you have a will in place and even if you have a living trust). And, yes, it would very likely only be temporary. But, trust us, you never want your children in the arms of strangers. Not even for a minute;

• your children could be put into the custody and care of someone you’d never want, like that one family member who has good intentions but who you’d never want raising your kids;

• a judge who doesn’t know you or your family will decide who will raise your kids even if it’s the last person you’d ever want;

• your family could get into a long, drawn out custody fight and there could be a challenge to the guardians you have designated;

• up to 10% of the value of your assets could be lost to court costs and other unnecessary fees through the probate process, a court process that can tie up your assets for years and deprive your kids of the resources they need to live comfortable, which can be completely avoided with advanced legal planning;

• when your children turn 18, they get a check for whatever assets are left;

• there are people out there who make it their business to look at the public records to find out when 18 year olds are getting that inheritance check;

• the vast majority of estate planning attorneys do not address these issues and don’t plan from a parent’s perspective.

Yes, these things scare us too. That’s why we offer a Protection Plan for your children with every plan we do for families with young children.

A protection plan is a set of instructions, legal documents, which you need to have if you have children at home who count on your for their well-being and care.

If you are in an accident, your Protection Plan will make sure your children are never taken into the physical custody of Child Protective Services, strangers, or the care of anyone you won’t want because the authorities will have clear instructions from you. And, your Protection Plan will ensue your children are raised by people you choose - not someone chosen by a judge who doesn’t know you.

Call us to learn more or use the button below to schedule your Planning Session.