If you are the parent of one or more young children in Missouri, the thought of making an estate plan may feel out of reach and possibly even unnecessary for you. However, the reality is that your position as a parent makes estate planning extremely necessary and important.
If something should happen to you and your child’s other parent while your child is still a minor, you will want to know that your child will be cared for in the way and by whom you want. The only way to make sure of this is to document your wishes in a solid estate plan. As NerdWallet explains, one of the important elements of your plan should be the identification of a legal guardian for your child. This person may or may not be a blood relative as many things should go into making your selection here.
In addition to a guardian, you may want to establish a trust in which you can place assets. The identification of beneficiaries on insurance policies and more is also important. Finally, you will need to select a person to be the executor of your estate or trustee of your trust. This does not need to be the same person that you name to be your child’s guardian.
If you would like to learn more about the things you should consider when putting an estate plan in place when you become a new parent, please feel free to visit the guardianship and executor page of our Missouri estate planning website.