• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Alpern Law Firm

Attorneys & Counselors At Law

CALL US TODAY
(800) 307-5544
(330) 394-1501

Seminars/Webinars
  • Home
  • Our Firm
    • About Our Firm
    • About The American Academy
    • Advantages of Working With Our Firm
    • Attorney and Staff Profiles
    • Multimedia
    • News & Events
  • Estate Planning
    • Asset Protection & Business Planning
    • Estate and Gift Tax Calculations
    • Estate Planning Services
    • Elder Law & Medicaid Services
    • Family-Owned Businesses & Farms
    • Legacy Planning
    • LGBTQ Estate Planning
    • Powers of Attorney
    • SECURE Act
    • Special Needs Planning
    • Trust Administration & Probate
  • Elder Law
    • Are You A Caregiver?
    • Coping With Alzheimer’s
    • Emergency Medicaid & Nursing Home Planning
    • Guardianship & Conservatorship
    • Hospice Care
    • Medicaid Planning
    • Veteran’s Benefits
  • Seminars/Webinars
  • Resources
    • Elder Law Resources
      • Elder Law & Medicaid Definitions
      • Elder Law Reports
    • Estate Planning Resources
      • Estate Planning Articles
      • Estate Planning Definitions
      • Estate Planning Reports
      • Estate Planning Checkup
      • Is Your Estate Plan Outdated?
      • Incapacity Planning Definitions
      • Top 10 Estate and Legacy Planning Techniques
    • Educational Alerts
    • Frequently Asked Questions
      • Estate Planning FAQ’s
      • Incapacity Planning FAQs
      • LGBTQ Estate Planning FAQs
      • Trust Administration & Probate FAQs
    • LGBTQ Resources
    • Published Books
    • Special Needs Resources
    • Trust Administration & Probate
      • Bereavement Resources
      • How to Know if You Need Extra Help With Your Grieving
      • Loss of a Loved One
      • Things You Need To Do When a Loved One Passes Away With a Trust
      • Things You Need To Do When a Loved One Passes Away With a Will
      • Trust Administration & Probate Definitions
  • Reviews
    • Our Reviews
    • Review Us
  • Blog
  • Contact Us
Home / Wills & Trusts / Why You Must Name Successor Guardians and Executors in a Will

Why You Must Name Successor Guardians and Executors in a Will

December 10, 2010 by Jack N. Alpern, Estate Planning Attorney

Two very important tasks when creating a will are naming the executor of your estate as well as naming a guardian for minor children.  What happens if either of these people is unable or unwilling to serve in that capacity?

Taking on executor duties for an estate or guardianship duties for children is a huge responsibility.  It’s important to discuss these choices not only with family members, but with those appointed, prior to drafting a will.  You may find that your choice for an executor or guardian is not comfortable with taking on that challenge. 

It is also important to keep a will updated to make sure you still have viable candidates for these appointments.  For instance, if you have appointed your parents as guardians for their grandchildren, they may not be up to the task in later years.

You should always have a backup plan included in your will, both in the case of appointing a guardian and appointing an executor for your estate.   Having a successor guardian as well as a successor executor named within your will can keep this decision in your hands, rather than allowing this decision to be made in probate court.  While a probate court will always make these decisions with the best interests of children and the estate in mind, as well as allow input from loved ones, naming a successor in both cases allows the decision to remain yours.

Estate planning, including creating a will, naming executors and naming guardians for children, allows you to maintain a semblance of control over what happens to your family should the unthinkable occur.  Since one of the goals in estate planning is easing the burden of your passing on loved ones, naming successor guardians and executors is an important aspect of it.

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Jack N. Alpern, Estate Planning Attorney
Latest posts by Jack N. Alpern, Estate Planning Attorney (see all)
  • The Inflation Reduction Act - September 13, 2022
  • How Do I Trust Thee…Part II - July 1, 2022
  • How Do I Trust Thee…Part I - July 1, 2022

Filed Under: Wills & Trusts Tagged With: Estate Planning, Executors, Parents with Children, wills

Primary Sidebar

Address

HOWLAND
8600 East Market Street Suite 1
Howland (Warren), Ohio 44484
United States (US)
Phone: (330) 394-1501
Secondary phone: (800) 307-5544

Office Hours

Monday8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday8:30 AM - 5:00 PM

Closed for lunch from 12:00 pm-1:00 pm

Map

map for The Alpern Law Firm office

Footer

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
The Alpern Law Firm logo

© 2023 American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.| Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Sitemap