Back-to-School Season Is the Perfect Time to Name a Guardian for Your Kids
It's that time of year again: school supply lists, first-day photos, and a stack of forms from your child's school asking for emergency contacts. You probably filled in a name and phone number without thinking twice.
But here's a harder question those forms don't ask: if something happened to you — not just for an afternoon, but permanently — who would raise your kids?
Most Marin County parents have a name in mind. Very few have made it legally official. And that gap is exactly where things go wrong.
What Happens Without a Guardian Nomination
If both parents pass away or become incapacitated without a legal guardian named, it's not automatically the grandparent, aunt, or best friend you'd have chosen. A judge decides — often after hearing from multiple family members who each believe they know best. It can take weeks. It plays out in a courtroom, not around your kitchen table. And the person who ends up with your kids may not be the person you would have picked.
That's not a scare tactic — it's simply how California law fills a gap you didn't leave instructions for.
It's More Than a Name on a Form
A real guardian nomination goes further than a single line in a will. A thoughtful plan covers:
A primary guardian, and a backup in case your first choice can't serve
Short-term caregiver instructions, so there's no gap while a court process plays out
Guidance on your values, routines, and priorities for raising your kids — not just custody, but continuity
How finances for your children's care will be handled, and by whom
Why Now
You're already thinking about who's picking your kids up and who's on the approved list — this is the same instinct, just carried one step further. Naming a guardian doesn't take a major life event to justify it. It takes about the same effort as filling out the school paperwork sitting on your counter right now.
A Simple Next Step
At Laurel Law & Planning, we help Marin County parents put this in place through a Life & Legacy Planning Session — a conversation, not a courtroom, where we talk through who you trust, what matters to you, and how to make sure it holds up legally.
If you want to start with just the guardian piece, our Kids Protection Plan is a simple way to name legal guardians for your children right now, without waiting for a full estate plan. You can get started at laurellegacy.kidsprotectionplan.com.
If naming a guardian for your kids has been on your list for longer than you'd like to admit, this is your sign to finally cross it off.