Child Protection Planning Attorney in Westlake Village, CA
Westlake Village is home to countless families thanks to its peaceful neighborhoods and top-rated schools. Whether you live in The Oakes or in Lake Sherwood, you and your children deserve the security that a child protection plan has to offer. Thinking about what the world might look like when you’re not here is never easy, but it can be essential to the safety and future of your children, and a Westlake Village child protection planning lawyer is here to help.
At Felder Law, we aren’t here just to act as a stuffy lawyer and offer a bunch of legal jargon that makes no sense. We care about you and your family and want to ensure that you are given all the tools to protect your loved ones should the worst-case scenario take place. Westlake Village is a tight-knit area, and you deserve to know that your children will be taken care of and provided for no matter what. With decades of experience behind us, we are ready to safeguard you and yours.
Why Child Protection Planning Is Very Important in Westlake Village?
According to the US Census Bureau, currently around 4.3% of children in the United States are living without one or both of their parents due to the death of those parents. Absolutely no one wants to truly think of what will happen to their children should they no longer be here to provide for them, but such thinking is essential as a parent.
At Felder Law, we want to be here for you and your loved ones as you sort out these difficult details. We offer compassionate care and counsel, and want to help protect your children against a variety of challenging circumstances if you pass away without a proper plan in place. Without a secure child protection plan, if tragedy strikes, there are several negative scenarios that can happen that make planning so vital. These scenarios include the following:
- Your child or children may be placed into the care of the state through Child Protective Services (CPS), even if you have a will or living trust established. While such an arrangement may only be temporary, at Felder Law, we understand you would rather have your children in the care of someone you trust over strangers. Nearly 343,000 children are placed into the foster care system nationwide every year.
- Your children may be placed into the custody of an individual you would never wish for, such as a family member who may have the right intentions, but should not be entrusted with the everyday care of your children.
- A family court judge or estate judge doesn’t know you and your family, yet it may be up to them to decide who will end up raising your children should the worst come about. A judge may not understand the inner workings of your family and friends and may place your children into the care of the last person you would ever want providing for your children.
- Your surviving family members may get into a long and difficult custody battle regarding your children, or there may be a challenge to designated guardianship if said guardianship is not properly established in a child protection plan.
- When an individual dies, it is not uncommon for legal costs to be anywhere from 3% to 10% of the entire value of the estate. These court processes — without the support of an adequate child protection plan — can tie up your hard-earned assets for years and keep money away from your children that would otherwise be used to support them when you are no longer here.
- When a child turns 18, they are given a check for the amount of assets left in their deceased parent’s estate, no matter their maturity level or what financial lessons they have yet to understand. This can actually act to the detriment of your children, and it may prove better to establish a plan to allow your children access to this support only when they are ready.
- There are malicious and unscrupulous parties who seek these 18-year-olds out through public court records and try to manipulate a new adult in order to take advantage of their assets. A child protection plan can ensure this does not take place.
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How Felder Law Can Help You Protect Your Family
In Westlake Village, a child protection plan is a vital legal establishment that includes documentation and a set of instructions that can direct what happens to your children should you suffer an untimely death. This plan can help ensure that your children are never taken into the custody of CPS or placed into the care of someone you would never wish to care for your children.
With a plan in place, you can have confidence in knowing that your children will be raised by loved ones of your choosing and not those chosen by a family court judge who knows nothing about you and your family.
When selecting an individual or group of individuals to act as your child’s guardian, ensure that you are picking someone who has the ability to care for your children and offer them a stable and loving home environment.
You typically need proper documentation of this decision to avoid legal battles, and that is where Felder Law comes in. We know the provisions that should be outlined in a child protection plan in order to prevent custody disputes and inheritance issues in the event of your death.
Hire a Child Protection Planning Lawyer: Contact Felder Law Today
If you are a young family in the Westlake Village area and are hoping to secure the future of your minor children, the child protection planning attorneys at Felder Law are here to help.
When you hire a child protection planning lawyer, we can guide you through the entire estate planning process and ensure that your family’s needs are met and your wishes are honored, no matter what happens. We know this can be a difficult topic, and we want to do whatever we can to help.
Contact Felder Law today and let us help you plan how to correctly move forward with your child’s interests in mind. Schedule your consultation today.
Email: info@felderlaw.com
