Do you have minor children? Who will take care of the children if you die? This is the number one reason for you to make a will. You do everything you can to be a good parent. Make sure you make a will and have plans for your children’s care if you are no longer around to do it. Pennsylvania permits a parent to appoint a guardian of his or her minor children in a will. The appointment must be made in a valid will. A letter or memorandum written by a parent requesting the appointment of a guardian in the event of his or her death is not binding. If there is no will and the parents are deceased, the court will select and appoint a guardian. A guardian is a sort of substitute parent. For so long as the ward (the minor child is called a ward …show more content…
Also consider ― will the home be big enough to accommodate their kids and yours? Will they have to move? Should your will provide for that expense? Nothing is simple. If you are divorced with minor children, and you die, custody of your children automatically passes to the other parent as natural guardian, unless proven unfit. A natural guardian, however, does not have any authority to exercise control over the minor child’s property, except in limited circumstances where the court has approved an award to the parent. In fact, Pennsylvania law provides that the court shall NOT appoint as guardian of the estate of a minor the parent of the minor, except that a parent can be appointed as a co-guardian with another co-guardian. Actually, Pennsylvania law permits anyone who gives property to a minor in his will to name a guardian of that property. For example, if grandparents leave their estate to a minor grandchild, the grandparents in their will may name a guardian to manage such funds for the benefit of the minor grandchild even if the parents are living and even if the parents do not agree with the