Legal
A will, a named guardian, and a few key documents are what stand between your child and a courtroom if something happens to you. We explain the paperwork plainly so you can get it done.
Tools
Guides
Temporary Guardianship Documents for a Child: A Plain Guide
The temporary guardianship documents that let another adult care for your child for a set time: which need a court, what they authorize, and how long they last.
Read guide →LegalPower of Attorney for a Child Form: What It Does and Its Limits
A power of attorney for a child form lets a parent delegate caregiving authority without court. Here is what it covers, how long it lasts, and where its limits are.
Read guide →LegalGuardianship vs Custody: What's the Difference?
Guardianship vs custody explained: who each involves, which court decides, whether parental rights end, and when a new parent needs one rather than the other.
Read guide →LegalWhat Happens to Baby If Both Parents Die Without a Will?
If both parents die without a will, a judge, not your family, picks your baby's guardian. Here's exactly how that process works in every state.
Read guide →LegalHow to Update Beneficiaries After Having a Baby
Learn exactly how to update beneficiaries on life insurance, retirement accounts, and more after having a baby, before a common mistake costs your family.
Read guide →LegalNo Assets, New Baby: Do You Actually Need a Will?
No savings, no house, but a new baby: do you still need a will? Yes, and here's the one reason that matters most when you have nothing to leave behind.
Read guide →LegalMinor Child as Life Insurance Beneficiary: A Costly Mistake
Naming a minor child as life insurance beneficiary can freeze the payout for years in probate court. Learn why it happens and the two fixes that actually work.
Read guide →LegalLegal Checklist Before Baby Arrives: 7 Steps to Take First
A practical legal checklist for expecting parents (guardianship, wills, beneficiaries, FMLA, and more) explained in plain English before baby arrives.
Read guide →LegalHow to Choose a Guardian for Your Child: A Parent's Guide
Learn how to choose a guardian for your child: which qualities matter most, how to compare candidates, and how to make the choice legally binding in your will.
Read guide →LegalThe Complete Will and Guardianship Checklist for New Parents
A step-by-step will and guardianship checklist for new parents: what documents you need, how to name a guardian, and what most families overlook.
Read guide →The documents every new parent needs
If both parents die without a will, two things happen by default: a court applies your state's intestacy rules to decide where the money goes, and a judge, not you, chooses who raises your child. Every document on this page exists to keep those two decisions in your hands.
The short list is manageable. A will names a guardian for your child and says where your assets go; without one, neither choice is yours. Beneficiary designations on life insurance and retirement accounts pass outside the will entirely, so they need to be checked and kept in line with it, because an out-of-date beneficiary beats the will every time. A durable financial power of attorney and a healthcare directive cover the harder case where you are alive but unable to act, naming who can pay the mortgage and make medical decisions on your behalf.
The practical bar is lower than most parents fear. Signing requirements (witnesses, and in some states notarization) vary by state, but a straightforward parental will is a solved problem: online will services handle the common case inexpensively, and an attorney makes sense when there is real complexity like a blended family, a special-needs child, or significant assets. Revisit the documents when a child is born, when you move states, and after any major change in what you own.