Guardianship
Legally designating a guardian for your special needs child is essential for his/her well-being.
Without doing so, a Court will decide who will raise your children, should something happen to you and your spouse.
While many of us purchase life insurance to protect our family, fewer than one in four parents have legally designated their children's Guardian. Your children need and deserve this protection.
Don't leave it to a Court to decide who the legal guardian for your children would be. Protect your children's welfare by appointing a guardian now. As a parent of a child with special needs, you are probably very involved in the medical care, education, and personal issues of your special child.
But, when your child reaches the age of 18 years, you will no longer have the decision about making rights you are accustomed to having; you do not automatically continue to be your child’s guardian. The law presumes that all adults are competent to make decisions, unless proven otherwise, regardless of whether or not they have a disability. Therefore, in order for you to continue to have parental authority after your child reaches 18 years of age, you must file for guardianship.
There are two types of guardianships Article 17-A and Article 81. To see which type works for your specific needs, you will need to come in for an appointment.