Sheldon Lazarow

Take a moment and actually answer that question.

Not in a vague, "well, it would probably be my sister" kind of way. In a legal, documented, unambiguous way. The kind of answer that a court would follow. The kind of answer that removes all doubt and all conflict from the worst moment your family might ever face.

If you can't answer it that clearly — you don't have an estate plan. And your children are not protected.

Why Young Parents Don't Do This

It is not because they don't love their children. Every parent reading this loves their children deeply.

It is because young people feel invincible. The idea of dying young — or becoming incapacitated young — feels distant and abstract. Something that happens to other families. Not yours.

It is also because estate planning feels like something for older people. People with significant wealth. People who have "real" assets.

Both of those ideas are wrong. And the cost of acting on them can be devastating.

The Questions You Haven't Answered

Here are the questions that an estate plan answers — and that every parent of young children needs to answer now:

Who raises your children if both parents are gone? Without a will that names a guardian, a court decides. The court will do its best — but it does not know your children. It does not know which family member shares your values, which living situation would be best, which relationships your children already have. A will names a guardian and gives the court clear direction.

Who is your second choice — and your third? What if your first-choice guardian is unable or unwilling to serve? What if they die before you? A well-drafted estate plan names alternates, so there is always a clear answer regardless of what happens.

What happens to your money? If you die and leave assets to your minor children, they cannot legally own or manage that money themselves. Without a trust, the assets may go into a court-supervised guardianship of the estate — an expensive, complicated process — until your children turn 18. At 18, they receive everything outright. All of it. At once. Whether they are ready for it or not.

A trust allows you to control how and when your children receive their inheritance. At 25. At 30. In stages. For education. For a home. However, you want. A court guardianship gives you none of that control.

Who makes medical decisions for you if you're in the hospital? If you're injured in a car accident and are unconscious, who has legal authority to talk to the doctors? To consent to surgery? To make the decisions that might save your life or determine your quality of life afterward? Without a healthcare power of attorney, nobody has that authority automatically — not even your spouse.

Who manages your finances if you're incapacitated? Your spouse may not have access to your individual accounts. Your bills still need to be paid. Your mortgage still needs to be paid. Without a durable power of attorney, nobody can act on your behalf — and the only alternative is a court proceeding.

What happens if you and your spouse die at the same time? A car accident. A tragedy. Both of you gone. Who has your children? Who controls the money? What is the plan? These are questions most couples have never discussed, let alone documented. An estate plan forces you to answer them — and makes sure the answers are legally binding.

"But We Don't Have Much"

This is the most common reason young parents give for not having an estate plan.

It is also one of the most misunderstood.

Estate planning is not primarily about what you have. It is about what happens to your children if you are gone.

Even if your only significant asset is a life insurance policy — and you have children — you need a plan for how that money is managed and when your children receive it. Without a trust, life insurance proceeds paid to minor children can end up in a court-supervised account. With a trust, you control everything.

And the reality is that most young families have more than they think: a home, retirement accounts, life insurance, vehicles, personal property. All of that needs a plan.

"We've Been Meaning to Do It"

Most young parents have been meaning to do this for a long time.

Something always comes up. It gets pushed to next month. Next year. After the baby arrives. After things slow down.

There is never a convenient time to think about your own death. There is never a moment when the to-do list is short enough that this floats to the top naturally.

What changes is not the to-do list. What changes is a close call. A friend who lost a spouse. A health scare. A conversation that cuts through the noise and makes the question real.

If you're reading this, consider this that conversation.

What the Process Actually Looks Like

Many people put off estate planning because they expect it to be complicated, uncomfortable, or time-consuming.

Here is what it actually involves at the Lazarow Law Firm:

A real conversation — with an attorney who listens, asks questions, and genuinely understands your family and your situation before drafting anything.

Custom documents — not forms, not templates — designed specifically for your family.

A signing meeting where every document is explained in plain English until you understand it completely. A complete package — originals, copies, a thumb drive, a plain-English booklet explaining every document and exactly what to do with it.

And the peace of mind of knowing that if something happened tonight, your children would be protected. Your wishes would be honored. Your family would not be left in chaos.

The Conversation Is Easier Than You Think

The hardest part of estate planning for young parents is usually starting. Once you're in the room, once you're talking about it with someone who has helped hundreds of families do this — it is not as heavy as you expected.

Mr. Lazarow has been doing this for 50 years. He has sat with young parents who were nervous about the conversation and walked out feeling, for the first time, that their family was truly protected. That feeling is real. It is available to you.

Serving Tucson and All of Southern Arizona

Lazarow Law Firm, P.L.C. helps young families throughout Tucson, Oro Valley, Marana, Green Valley, Sierra Vista, and all Southern Arizona put plans in place that protect their children and give them peace of mind.

📞 (520) 623-5856 ✉ [email protected]m 

Call us. Schedule the conversation. Your children deserve a plan. Sheldon Lazarow is a Tucson estate planning attorney with 50 years of legal experience. Lazarow Law Firm, P.L.C. | 25 E. University Blvd., Tucson, AZ 85705.