What Happens To My Kids If I Become Incapacitated?

One of the overriding purposes driving people to create and establish an estate plan is to ensure their minor children are cared for and will continue to be provided for in case a tragedy befalls the family and one or both parents pass away.

Benefits of a Last Will and Testament

One of the great benefits of having a Last Will and Testament is the ability to appoint guardians for your minor children. However, your Will does not have any effect during your lifetime. It only becomes effective upon your death. What if the tragedy does not result in your death but merely incapacity or inability to provide for your minor children? (e.g., as a result of Maryland car accident you are in a coma). Who is authorized to serve as guardian for your minor children and how can you ensure the right person is appointed? Several states including Maryland have developed a statutory mechanism that allows parents to plan for this very real tragedy and that mechanism is called a “standby guardian”.

The Future Care of Your Children

A standby guardianship allows parents to plan for the future care of children without terminating their own parental rights. A standby guardianship is similar to the nomination of a guardian for minor children under your Last Will and Testament, except that the standby guardianship may become effective during your lifetime. A parent may be diagnosed with a life threatening disease or an accident may change the parent’s situation drastically in an instant. By designating a standby guardian, parents ensure that their children are cared for by an individual(s) of their choosing. The standby guardianship allows the guardian(s) to take action in advance of petitioning the court for a court ordered appointment as guardian of the minor child.

How The Process Works

In order to designate a standby guardian, the parent must only execute a written designation that is (1) signed in the presence of two witnesses and (2) signed by the designated standby guardian. The designated standby guardian is appointed when a “triggering event” occurs. The triggering event may be the incapacity, death or written consent for the guardianship to commence. Once the triggering event occurs, the standby guardian’s authority begins. Thereafter, the standby guardian must petition the court to appoint the standby guardian as guardian of the minor child within 180 days. Parents can revoke the standby guardianship at any time prior to the filing of the petition by any means that demonstrates an intent to revoke the designation.

Best practices dictate that a parent with minor children should provide for guardianship of minor children through a will and also through a standby guardianship. While it is impossible to plan for every possible occurrence in an individual’s lifetime, planning for the care of your minor children can be simplified by including a standby guardianship in your estate plan. At Berman | Sobin | Gross LLP we include a standby guardianship as a part of our basic estate planning package for all clients with minor children.

By Patricia Zeleznik