[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-1-en-105":3,"doc-seo-278584-105":53,"doc-detail-278584-en":127},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,14,19,24,29,34,39,44,49],{"id":8,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":11,"show_sort_weight":12,"slug":13},11,1,"Template","Presentations",90,"presentations",{"id":15,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":16,"show_sort_weight":17,"slug":18},12,"Resumes",80,"resumes",{"id":20,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":21,"show_sort_weight":22,"slug":23},14,"Invoices",70,"invoices",{"id":25,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":26,"show_sort_weight":27,"slug":28},15,"Posters",60,"posters",{"id":30,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":31,"show_sort_weight":32,"slug":33},16,"Social Media",50,"social-media",{"id":35,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":36,"show_sort_weight":37,"slug":38},17,"Forms",40,"forms",{"id":40,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":41,"show_sort_weight":42,"slug":43},18,"Letters",30,"letters",{"id":45,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":46,"show_sort_weight":47,"slug":48},21,"Paper Templates",5,"papers-templates",{"id":50,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":51,"show_sort_weight":4,"slug":52},158,"General","general-158",{"code":4,"msg":54,"data":55},"ok",{"site_id":56,"language":57,"slug":58,"title":59,"keywords":60,"description":61,"schema_data":62,"social_meta":120,"head_meta":122,"extra_data":124,"updated_unix":126},105,"en","an-estate-planning-blind-spot-choosing-guardians-for-minor-children","An Estate Planning Blind Spot - Choosing Guardians for Minor Children","","Estate planning for minor children requires selecting guardians who will safely and lovingly raise children in the event of a parent’s untimely death. The document explains how indecision, deadlock, or neglect can leave families without wills and can expose children to contested hearings, unsuitable guardians, or even foster care. It outlines New Hampshire-focused legal considerations, factors for evaluating candidates, and related economic and financial planning topics for attorneys.",{"@graph":63,"@context":119},[64,80,102],{"@type":65,"itemListElement":66},"BreadcrumbList",[67,71,74,77],{"item":68,"name":69,"@type":70,"position":9},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":72,"name":10,"@type":70,"position":73},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/",2,{"item":75,"name":41,"@type":70,"position":76},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/letters/",3,{"item":78,"name":59,"@type":70,"position":79},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/an-estate-planning-blind-spot-choosing-guardians-for-minor-children/278584/",4,{"url":78,"name":59,"@type":81,"image":82,"author":87,"headline":59,"publisher":90,"fileFormat":93,"inLanguage":57,"description":61,"dateModified":94,"datePublished":95,"encodingFormat":93,"isAccessibleForFree":96,"interactionStatistic":97},"DigitalDocument",{"url":83,"@type":84,"width":85,"height":86},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/an-estate-planning-blind-spot-choosing-guardians-for-minor-children/278584.png","ImageObject",442,249,{"name":88,"@type":89},"Aladdin","Person",{"url":68,"name":91,"@type":92},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-18","2026-09-15",true,{"@type":98,"interactionType":99,"userInteractionCount":101},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":100},"ViewAction",7,{"@type":103,"mainEntity":104},"FAQPage",[105,111,115],{"name":106,"@type":107,"acceptedAnswer":108},"Why is choosing a guardian for minor children a difficult estate planning decision?","Question",{"text":109,"@type":110},"The choice can be divisive and lead to procrastination or deadlock, and without clear preferences a judge may appoint an unsuitable applicant. Some families may face contested hearings or worst-case outcomes if no one applies.","Answer",{"name":112,"@type":107,"acceptedAnswer":113},"Under New Hampshire rules, how much weight does the court give to a parent’s nomination in a will?",{"text":114,"@type":110},"In New Hampshire, a probate judge can disregard the parents’ choice after a hearing if the selected guardian is found unfit or unsuitable. The court also considers the minor’s preference and assigns it weight based on circumstances.",{"name":116,"@type":107,"acceptedAnswer":117},"What steps can parents take to prepare for selecting a guardian?",{"text":118,"@type":110},"The document recommends encouraging clients to make a list of criteria that matters most and to review candidates with that list in mind. It also references background checks and registry searches as part of the court’s process for evaluating prospective guardians.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":78,"og:type":121,"og:title":59,"og:site_name":91,"og:description":61},"article",{"robots":123,"canonical":78},"index,follow",{"doc_id":125,"site_id":56},278584,1790188722,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":128},{"doc_id":125,"user_id":129,"nickname":88,"user_avatar":130,"doc_module":9,"category_id":40,"category_name":41,"doc_title":59,"doc_description":61,"doc_content":131,"file_id":132,"file_url":133,"file_type":134,"file_size":135,"view_count":101,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":9,"is_downloadable":9,"audit_status":9,"page_count":136,"language":137,"language_code":57,"site_id":56,"html_lang":57,"table_of_contents":138,"faqs":139,"seo_title":140,"seo_description":61,"update_tm":141,"read_time":79},2336478503145,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_276721f389ce27ea32af1340a28f341c","An Estate Planning Blind Spot:  \nChoosing Guardians for Minor Children  \n􀀁􀀂 􀀄􀀅􀀅􀀆􀀇􀀈􀀉􀀂 􀀊􀀆􀀋􀀉􀀌􀀍 􀀎 􀀏 􀀐􀀑􀀒􀀆􀀈􀀓􀀔􀀕􀀖 􀀗􀀗􀀗  \n􀀄􀀏 􀀗􀀘 􀀙 􀀚 􀀛 􀀒􀀜 􀀝 􀀙 􀀗􀀛 􀀘  \nFor parents of minor children, deciding who should be guardian for the children1 in the event of the parents’ untimely death is one of the most difficult estate planning choices they must confront. In many cases the decision can be so difficult and divisive that the parents either procrastinate or find themselves deadlocked, unable to agree over a suitable candidate. Paralysis over this issue is among the reasons that a majority of American parents of minor children have no wills.  \nThe choice of a guardian is, however, one of the most important aspects of these parents’ estate plan. If called upon to serve, the ideal guardian will oversee the upbringing of the children by providing a safe and loving home. The guardian will serve as an adult role model, providing supervision, encouragement and discipline as needed. He or she will attend to each child’s social and intellectual development, helping the child through the trials of adolescence and beyond, assisting with educational and career decisions, and generally supporting the child on the road to becoming an independent adult.  \nDespite its importance, the careful crafting of guardianship provisions in wills and revocable trusts are often overlooked by estate planners who are apt to focus more attention on things like tax avoidance. This is unfortunate; a parent will lose far more sleep agonizing over the welfare of their possibly orphaned offspring than the risk of forfeiting a unified credit.  \nThis article offers information and options that an estate planning attorney can use to provide more meaningful counsel to clients on:  \n(i) New Hampshire law regarding the appointment and supervision of guardians of both a minor’s person and estate;  \n(ii) factors the client should be encouraged to consider in choosing among guardianship candidates, and  \n(iii) related economic and financial planning issues.  \nIn appendices to be posted with the online version of this article (See Publication Archives [at www.nhbar.org](at www.nhbar.org)) language is provided for insertion to the clients’documents to give the chosen guardian sufficient guidance and financial wherewithal to perform critical guardianship duties in an informed manner and without undue financial stress or concerns about conflicts of interest.  \nIn light of my purpose to aid New Hampshire attorneys, the balance of this article will be directed toward a hypothetical client: a parent or married couple with one or more minor children.  \n􀀁 􀀏 􀀞 􀀄􀀚 􀀄􀀟 ! 􀀗! \" 􀀄 􀀘 􀀄􀀙 􀀜 􀀚 􀀄􀀟 􀀚 \\# ! 􀀞 􀀛 􀀘 ! \\# 􀀖􀀁􀀜 􀀙 􀀄 􀀞 􀀛 􀀙 \\# 􀀘 􀀙 􀀗􀀄􀀟 􀀟 􀀝 􀀛 ! 􀀙 􀀟 􀀛 􀀘 \\#  \nIf you are inclined to avoid the issue completely and neglect this aspect of estate planning, consider the toll on those you most want to protect—your children:  \n1. Someone you dislike could end up as guardian. Unless you state your preferences, a judge could appoint anyone who applies and who seems appropriate for the job.2  \n2. The guardianship hearing might be contested. More than one applicant may have to litigate the issue, 3 thus setting the family up for an expensive dust-up which will cost everyone but the lawyers.  \n3. Or the worst possible scenario: no one applies, leaving the children to be left with a reluctant or unsuitable family member. Or they may end up in foster care—an uncommon result but not without precedent (look what happened to Cinderella) .4  \n􀀝 􀀏 􀀗􀀐􀀞 􀀛 􀀚 􀀙 􀀄􀀘 􀀙 􀀝 􀀛 􀀘 ! 􀀗􀀒\\# 􀀚 􀀄􀀙 􀀗􀀛 􀀘 ! 􀀗􀀘 􀀝 $ 􀀛 􀀛 ! 􀀗􀀘 % ! 􀀜 􀀗􀀙 􀀄􀀁􀀟 \\# 􀀝 􀀄􀀘 􀀒􀀗􀀒􀀄􀀙 \\# ! 􀀏  \n1. The desires expressed in the will are non-binding but are almost certain to be respected. Generally, if you are married, you will express your preferences as to guardian in your wills. 5 Under the laws of roughly half the states, a parent’s nomination is binding and the court has no discretion to overturn it. 6 In New Hampshire and the other states, however, a probate judge can disregard the parent","cbCaigTxFaDgROK7","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaigTxFaDgROK7","pdf",152153,10,"English","# Choosing guardians for minor children\n## Why guardianship decisions get overlooked\n## Legal framework and appointment process\n## Practical criteria for selecting candidates","[{\"question\":\"Why is choosing a guardian for minor children a difficult estate planning decision?\",\"answer\":\"The choice can be divisive and lead to procrastination or deadlock, and without clear preferences a judge may appoint an unsuitable applicant. Some families may face contested hearings or worst-case outcomes if no one applies.\"},{\"question\":\"Under New Hampshire rules, how much weight does the court give to a parent’s nomination in a will?\",\"answer\":\"In New Hampshire, a probate judge can disregard the parents’ choice after a hearing if the selected guardian is found unfit or unsuitable. The court also considers the minor’s preference and assigns it weight based on circumstances.\"},{\"question\":\"What steps can parents take to prepare for selecting a guardian?\",\"answer\":\"The document recommends encouraging clients to make a list of criteria that matters most and to review candidates with that list in mind. It also references background checks and registry searches as part of the court’s process for evaluating prospective guardians.\"}]","An Estate Planning Blind Spot - Choosing Guardians for Minor Children | PDF",1789510844]