Universal Guardian Trust
All parents are essentially guardians for their dependent children. The Universal Guardian Trust (UGT) is specifically designed to allow parents to appoint future guardians to take their place if the need arises. Also, the UGT outlines the wishes of a deceased parent for the appointed guardian to follow.
Parents raising children with mental and/or physical challenges have additional considerations such as providing guardians with the finances needed to accommodate any special needs of their children. This is especially important for avoiding unnecessary court intervention if a guardian-appointee relative or friend lacks the utilities and/or sufficient resources to serve as a guardian in a meaningful and purposeful manner.
The UGT is recommended for anyone, parents or custodians alike, who have minors and/or others in their care with either permanent or able-to-be-outgrown challenges or disabilities (regardless of severity). Our Universal Guardian Trust platform provides (but is not limited to):
• Protection from court-ordered guardianship by strangers;
• A road-map for applying parent-directed, child-centric activities concerning daily living, diet, special education, family adviser relations, and many other instructionals;
• Assessment for sufficient financial resources for the future guardian through end-of-life funding tools;
• Offers an additional layer of protection creating delineation of the successor trustee and future guardian roles by allowing the trustee to exercise fiduciary responsibility over the use of resources to ensure that financial resources are used in accordance with Grantor directives for the care of the dependent(s).
Appointing a Guardian
Parents raising children, and including those with challenges, may be surprised to learn that the courts take special interest in whom they believe is fit to care for the children. Parents who qualify for Waivered Services, for example, are even subject to monthly home visits and reporting.
If you only have a Will, courts and state agencies may elect to scrutinize and exercise an opinion about who might be best to care for dependent children. The best defense against unwanted intrusion is to designate a guardian of your choice in a UGT.
The "Universal Guardian Guide"
Our Universal Guardian Guide (the “Guide”) is a revolutionary, online guardian-reference system that works in conjunction with the Universal Guardian Trust. The Guide provides a comprehensive road map for your family’s guardian appointee, covering allergies, food sensitivities, physical care, special education, family advisers, challenges, disabilities, special seeds, comforting routines, preferences, instructions, customized messages, and other additional resources.
The Guide can be updated via a secure, online login portal and is made available to your appointed guardian when the time becomes necessary for the guardian’s access to the Guide.
