Having a will is important for every responsible adult, but the creation of a last will and testament is absolutely critical for parents with minor children. Without a will the courts will decide what your children will inherent and even where they will live. Leaving all this to chance, or simply assuming that everything will work out in the end, is foolish. Even if you have discussed your final wishes with your family members, without a formal will in place your children will not have the financial and legal protection they deserve.



The single most important benefit of having a will is that it allows parents to make arrangements for the guardianship of their minor children.. Instead of the court deciding where those children will live, the parents are free to spell it all out in a legally binding document. This means that the children will be protected from any unnecessary upheaval, and the family members left behind will be safe in eth knowledge that your children are safe and entrusted to a responsible family member or friend.

All too many parents put off writing a formal last will and testament, relying instead on informal agreements with other family members.. While it is all well and good that your Aunt Jane or sister Kate has agreed to take care of your kids if you are no longer there those agreements are not legally binding. In the absence of a formal last will and testament the court could easily come along and remove those children from her care. In some cases the children could end up in foster care, and there is even a chance they could be separated. Fighting for custody and trying to enforce an informal verbal or written agreement will take lots of time and money, perhaps more money than your surviving family members will have on hand.

In addition to this unpleasant scenario, the lack of a formal will can also result in family infighting and feuding. Maybe your Uncle Bill thinks he would be a better guardian or your children after your death. Without a will in place your sister or aunt could end up in a lengthy, bitter and costly legal battle over what is best for the children. By having a formal last will and testament in place you can avoid these types of squabbles and keep peace and harmony in the family.

By naming a guardian in your will you can make sure that your children will be protected and taken care of until they reach the age of majority. No matter how old or young your children it is important to protect them. After all it is the responsibility of every parent to protect their children. Even if the possibility of both you and your spouse dying at the same time seems remote, it is certainly not out of the question. One need only look at the statistics for car crashes and other calamities to see how common this type of situation really is. So it is time to stop procrastinating and start creating your last will and testament. The task may seem like an unpleasant one, but your children will be glad you took the time to prepare this essential legal document.