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Designating a legal guardian for your child used to be a complex, expensive, and intimidating legal process that remained out-of-reach for many parents. Luckily, technology has transformed guardianship designation into a simple, accessible task that, in many states, can be completed online in mere minutes. Trustie represents the cutting edge of this revolution, offering parents a quick and reliable method for protecting their most precious assets—their children.
The importance of taking this step as soon as possible cannot be overstated. It's not just a legal formality, but a critical component in ensuring your children's safety, stability, and well-being in the event of unforeseen circumstances. While we all hope never to need to actually make use of a designated guardian, having a contingency plan in place will bring your family peace of mind and the assurance that if at any point and for any reason, you can’t be there for your kids, someone else can–someone you trust and who is ready and willing to take on the responsibility.
What You Need to Know Before You Start
While Trustie’s tools make the actual legal process fast and straightforward, the decisions leading up to it require thoughtful consideration beforehand, so it’s essential to prepare carefully before diving in.
1. Know Who You Want to Appoint
The first step is deciding who you trust to care for your child. This could be…
- A family member
- A close friend
- Someone else in your life who shares your values and parenting philosophy
Make sure that whomever you want to appoint sees eye-to-eye with you on matters of education, discipline, lifestyle choices, financial management, and spiritual or religious practices. Additionally, think about factors like their financial, psychological, and lifestyle stability, ability to provide for your child, and emotional connection with your family and with your child(ren). Lastly, since every child is unique, it’s imperative that you appoint someone who is adaptable and poised to support your child’s unique needs. That might mean understanding their specific emotional and developmental needs, educating themselves on any special or specific educational requirements and being equipped to provide support in those areas, and being able to manage any existing medical conditions that your child might have. Take our Trustie quiz to think through your parenting priorities as you designate a guardian.
2. Make Sure They Know What They’re Signing up For
Before making anything official, ensure the person you wish to designate is aware of your plans, fully understands your expectations and requirements, and wholeheartedly agrees to take on the responsibility. This means having an earnest, candid, and detailed discussion with your prospective guardian. This conversation should address parenting preferences and the other points listed above, as well as any doubts or areas of concern–from both sides. Remember to cover details like where your child would live, schooling preferences, and cultural upbringing, if relevant.
Step-by-Step Guide to Trustie’s 5-Minute Process
Trustie has revolutionized the legal process of appointing a guardian by removing complexity and focusing on user experience. Here’s how you can complete it in three simple steps:
Step 1: Choose a Guardian
Create an account and log in to Trustie to begin the process. The platform will then prompt you to enter the name and details of your chosen guardian.
Step 2: Fill Out the Legal Form
Trustie provides a state-specific legal form tailored to local guardianship laws. The form is pre-filled with the necessary information, leaving only a few fields for you to complete.
Step 3: Review and Sign in Front of Witnesses
Once the form is complete, Trustie will ensure it meets all legal requirements. The only other thing you’ll need to do is to sign the document in front of two witnesses, as required by most states. Trustie even provides guidance on witness qualifications in order to ensure that everything is legally sound.
Why It’s So Fast
Gone are the days when designating a legal guardian constituted a tedious process involving creating a full estate plan, legal jargon, and sometimes hefty lawyer fees. In many states, designating a legal guardian can be completed as a standalone step outside of the process of creating a will. When Trustie founder Allie Ott had her daughter, all she wanted to do was make sure to complete this first step of designating who would care for her daughter if something happened to her, instead of diving into full-on estate planning. She also wanted to make sure the process was so simple and accessible that the minute a parent had the anxiety of “who will care for my child if we can’t, they could complete this important step. So, she got to work and leveraged technology to streamline every aspect. Firstly, Trustie automates document procurement by providing state-specific guardianship designation templates, so there’s no guesswork involved. Secondly, the user-friendly interface provides clear prompts and pre-filled forms, which means minimal time spent on data entry. Finally, Trustie provides guidance through every step to save you time and keep you from missing any critical details.
What was once a stressful task is now a simple, five-minute activity for which even the busiest parent can–and must–make time. Check out Trustie’s quick explainer video to see how simple it really is.
Don’t wait until it’s too late. Start the process today and give yourself peace of mind knowing your child’s future is secure.
