When you’re raising children, life moves fast. Between school pick-ups, activities, and building a secure future, estate planning often slips to the bottom of the list. But here’s the truth most parents don’t hear enough: your children need your legal protection just as much as they need your emotional and financial support.

If something unexpected happened tomorrow, what would your children’s world look like? Who would step in? Who would make decisions? Would the courts be involved? Would money be tied up? Would your children be protected—or left vulnerable?

A strong estate plan answers all those questions before a crisis hits.

To help you get started, here is the Estate Planning Checklist for Parents—a comprehensive guide to the documents, decisions, and protections every parent should have in place.

1. Name Long-Term Guardians for Your Children

Choosing who would raise your children if you couldn’t is one of the most emotional (and important) decisions you will ever make.

Your guardian selection should:

• Share your values and parenting style
• Provide a stable and loving environment
• Have the capacity—emotionally, financially, and physically—to care for your child
• Be someone you trust to prioritize your child’s well-being
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Important: If you don’t name a guardian, a judge will choose one for you. Naming guardians ensures your child isn’t placed with someone you would never choose.

2. Choose Temporary (Short-Term) Guardians

Most parents don’t realize this is equally crucial.

If an emergency happens and you cannot get home—accident, hospitalization, or sudden incapacity—your children could be placed in foster care until the court figures out long-term guardianship.

Temporary guardians prevent that. They step in immediately so your children are never with strangers or stuck in the system.

3. Create a Will

Your will directs:

• How your assets will be distributed
• Who becomes guardian of your children
• Who will manage your children's inheritance
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Without a will, the state—not you—decides everything.

Parents must ensure their will includes:

• Guardianship language
• A testamentary trust for minors
• Clear instructions for distribution

4. Establish a Trust for Your Children

Children cannot inherit money directly. If you don’t set up a trust:

• The court will freeze assets
• A judge will appoint someone to manage your child’s inheritance
• Your child may receive everything at 18 with no guidance
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A trust solves all of this by:

• Ensuring funds are protected
• Allowing you to control when and how your children receive money
• Preventing misuse or mismanagement of assets
• Providing seamless access to funds for your child's care

5. Appoint a Trustee Your Trust

Your trustee should be:

• Responsible and financially savvy
• Honest and detail-oriented
• Able to manage funds for your child until adulthood

This person does not have to be the same as your guardian.

6. Set Up Financial Powers of Attorney

If you become incapacitated, no one—even your spouse—can automatically manage your finances unless you legally appoint them.

A Financial Power of Attorney allows someone you trust to:

• Pay bills
• Access accounts
• Manage investments
• Handle business affairs
• Ensure your children's needs are met

Without this, your loved ones must go to court to get permission.

7. Create Health Care Documents

Every parent needs:

• Health Care Proxy – someone who makes medical decisions if you cannot
• Living Will – your preferences for life-sustaining treatment
• HIPAA Authorization – gives your loved ones access to your medical information

These prevent confusion, delay, and unnecessary suffering during a medical emergency.

8. Update Beneficiary Designations

Insurance policies, retirement accounts, and investment accounts have their own rules. The beneficiary forms control who receives the money—not your will.

Parents should avoid naming minor children directly. Instead:

• Name your trust
• Or name your spouse, then your trust as a backup

This keeps funds protected and out of court.

9. Organize and Secure Important Documents

Your family needs to know where to find:

• Life insurance policies
• Account statements
• Passwords and digital assets
• Estate planning documents
• Your HeartVault (legacy messages, letters, and important recordings)
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A plan is only useful if your family can access it.

10. Leave Instructions and Legacy Messages for Your Children

Estate planning isn’t just legal—it's emotional.

Parents should leave behind:

• Letters for milestone moments
• Videos
• Instructions about values, traditions, and wishes
• Guidance for guardians and trustees

These legacy items provide comfort and direction during life’s hardest moments.

11. Review and Update Your Plan Regularly

Your plan should evolve as your family does. Update your documents when:

• You have another child
• You move to a new state
• Your financial situation changes
• Your chosen guardian or trustee is no longer appropriate
• You start a business

A stale plan can create just as many problems as having none.

Final Thoughts: Estate Planning Is the Ultimate Act of Love

Estate planning is not about money—it’s about protection. It’s about ensuring your children have security, stability, and care no matter what life brings.

Every parent deserves the peace of knowing:

• My kids will never end up with strangers.
• My family will bypass the court system.
• My children’s future is financially protected.
• My legacy will carry on.

This checklist is your starting point.

If you want a plan that protects everything—your children, your wealth, and your legacy— I'd love to help.

Book your Future-Proof Your Family Game Plan Call today.

Your children deserve the security of a plan.

And you deserve the peace of mind that comes with having one.