Having a child can bring a sense of joy to your life that no other event can. This new life may have you looking at the world and your life in a completely different way, and concerns you may not have had before may begin to feel important. Indeed, with your child’s life just beginning, you may begin to think about the possibility of your death and how your child would fare after such an event.
For new parents, estate planning can offer a great sense of security and comfort. Because you undoubtedly want your child to receive the proper care, attention, love and support that you yourself would provide, creating an estate plan can allow you to ensure that those actions get carried out as you would hope.
Guardians
One of your main concerns may revolve around who will care for your child in the event of your death. You and your spouse may wish to discuss the candidates you find acceptable to act as your child’s guardian and caretaker should the need arise. In order to legally name an individual to this position, you must create a will, as this document provides the means for you to designate your desired guardian.
Trusts
Though most parents want to leave their children part of the estate, they often hope that their children will have reached adulthood by the time the need to distribute assets comes around. However, the possibility does exist that your death could occur before your child reaches adulthood. In order to protect the assets you intend for your child to receive, you may wish to create a trust.
In addition to protecting assets, the terms of the trust can dictate at what age the child can have access to the assets. The trustee will manage the account and distribute the property at the appropriate time.
Executor
The executor carries out the necessary duties that allow your estate to close. Therefore, you may wish to name a trusted and responsible individual to fill this role and attend to those tasks. Children can often feel lost after their parents’ deaths, but even older teens may feel as if they should shoulder some of the estate responsibilities. By naming an executor, your child may feel reassured knowing that you placed someone in charge.
Creating your plans
In order to address the minor details of your estate and your goals effectively, you may wish to consult with an experienced Maryland attorney when it comes time to create your estate plan. By having legal assistance, you may rest assured knowing that your plans were properly created and address your needs and concerns.
