A study conducted a few years ago found that parents of minor children were even less likely than others to have drafted a will or any other estate papers. This is truly scary when you consider that this is one category of people for who estate planning is not just necessary, but an absolute must.

Part of the estate planning process for parents of minors is deciding on guardianship issues. This can be one of the trickiest issues for parents. If the parents are still married, it can be lead to a tug-of-war between both parents. It's normal to want someone from your side of the family appointed as guardian to your children when you're no longer around.

However, it’s very important to approach guardianship issues with an open mind. Make a list of all the positive attributes that you would like the guardian of your children to have, and look for these qualities. Be prepared to compromise. The kind of guardian you are looking for may not necessarily be someone from your side of the family.

In the case of single parents, the children may be automatically transferred to the surviving parent, no matter what has been specified in the will. However, you must speak with a California estate planning attorney about your options.

It also helps if you lower your expectations for a guardian. Often, estate planning lawyers find that the choice of guardianship is a tricky one, because parents have a picture of a perfect guardian in their minds. What should be important is that the person has the means to raise your child, and will be able to raise your child with the kind of values that you hold dear. Perfect parents don't exist, and neither does the perfect guardian.