Appointing Guardians
If you die intestate and have not appointed a guardian for your children (under 18 years of age), the likely hood is that they would be taken into foster care by the local authority should something happen to you. For parents, making a Will provides the peace of mind of choosing who will look after their children should something happen to them.
A guardian becomes responsible for the child’s physical care, health, education and welfare until he or she reaches 18 years of age. The guardian is not responsible to meet the child’s financial needs with his or her own money. Usually, a trustee, which may also be the executor, handles those arrangements with the money provided by the estate and dedicated for that purpose.
Setting up a trust is recommended if your children have disabilities and may require specialist home or Local Authority care – this ensures that adequate funds will be available in the future.