Appointing a guardian for your child in Essex is a significant issue which cannot be ignored. Laura Richardson now takes you through some of the key things that you may wish to consider when making important decisions in this regard . . .
Becoming a parent changes your life in an instant. Amidst the excitement and joy of welcoming your new baby, it is important to protect your new child by appointing a guardian for them should the worst happen to you. If your child is left with no living parents, they could be placed in foster care until the court appoints a guardian. It is therefore important that you appoint a guardian for your child. To help you decide upon a guardian, we at Andrew Douglas Wills and Legal Services, have compiled some questions for you, as a parent when it comes to appointing a guardian for your child in Essex:
- Can you consult your child on their wishes? If your child is old enough, you could ask them who they would choose to live with should you be unable to look after them. This may give you some insight as to where they would feel most at home.
- If you have more than one child, is there a guardian who would be able to care for all of the children together? Staying with siblings would provide some consistency during a very unsettling time for your children.
- If you have an only child, would it be better for them to join a family where they would have “siblings” or would they be better supported remaining as a single child?
- Do any of the potential guardians live local to Essex? Maintaining stability for your child by keeping them in the same school or familiar surroundings may allow them to deal with the adjustment better.
- Who has similar values to you? With so many varying parenting styles in existence, not just across Essex, but across the UK, it may ease the transition if the guardian shares parenting values with you.
- Are you able to provide financially for your child’s guardian? If not, who would be able to provide for your child financially? Considerations should be made also to the type of occupation of your child’s potential guardian? Are they able to work around childcare outside of school hours for example?
- Finally, is your chosen guardian happy to take on the responsibility of raising your child should the worst happen?
Once you have decided upon the best choice of legal guardian for your child in Essex, it is important to legally bind these wishes into a Will. Contact Andrew Douglas Wills and Legal Services today via www.andrewdouglaswills.co.uk or on 01376to see how we can protect your wishes and secure your child’s guardianship in Essex.
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