5 Letters (L-E-G-A-L) to Protect Your Kids’ Future

This post is sponsored by ASH LAW, a boutique law firm in Missouri.

Planning isn’t sexy. But neither are many things we do for our kids (read: diapers and stomach flu). 

It’s part of our job! We teach our kids to look both ways when crossing the street and to wash their hands (stomach flu fear lives #RentFree in my head). We teach them not to talk to strangers and to be aware of their surroundings. We worry about the “immediate” dangers. But we have to cover the long-term dangers, too.

If you were gone today, either in a coma or in a cemetery, would your kids have recordings of your voice? Who would raise them – and how? What would your kids’ financial futures look like? Here are five ways you can protect your kids – they spell LEGAL to help you remember!

L – Legal Guardians

If you don’t name legal guardians for your kids, a judge could decide who raises them. A judge who doesn’t know your family, including That Relative who “looks great on paper.” And you know That Relative is NOT going to raise your kids the way you’d want them raised.

E – Economic Support

Have a place where all of your financial information can easily be accessed. Your bank accounts, retirement, insurance, etc. Make sure you tell someone you trust where to find these documents in case of emergency. Many states have Departments of Unclaimed Property with millions of dollars that belonged to families just like yours – but were lost to the government because no one knew about them!

G – Guidance

Give the legal guardians you’ve named a “handbook” about how you want your kids to be raised. Does spirituality matter to you? How and when do you want them to be receive financial support? And, my hope is you never need this, but in the event that your kids are caring for you, give them some help, so they don’t have to make the tough decisions without your input.

A – Asset Protection

Do you own a business, equipment, or real estate? Consider a trust or other legal mechanism to protect your family’s assets from future creditors, predators, and/or divorce. 

L – Legacy

Record your voice! Write letters to your kids. Use a hashtag on social media to allow your kids to find posts you made about them. Whether your kids lose you when they are old or young, they will cherish the parts of your legacy you left for them.


 

ASH LAW is a boutique law firm, located in Missouri, and dedicated to thoughtful estate planning and fierce family law advocacy. To schedule a consultation, call or email ASH LAW at 816-895-2990 or [email protected].

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