|
A Word
to the Guardian
- Do you
fully understand the legal and financial responsibilities of
being a guardian? If not, ask the parents exactly what will
be expected of you and the provisions being made in their estate
for such an eventuality.
- Will you
be a financial guardian of the children's inheritance? If so,
what will your role be and do you feel qualified to carry it
out?
- How would
your family feel about sharing their household? Discuss your
decision with them and make sure everyone understands what this
obligation means. Be sure that they would welcome children into
your home, and not consider them as outsiders.
- Do you
share the values of the children's parents? Would you be willing
to raise their children according to their wishes? Rearing your
own children as well as someone else's under two different sets
of rules and ideals could be challenging.
- Would your
lifestyle be affected by becoming a guardian? For instance,
if your own children are grown, are you prepared to take on
younger children? Are the children's parents planning ahead
for the costs of rearing them or will you be financially burdened?
- Can you
accept and raise these children like your own - even through
the difficult years, like adolescence?
No time
like the present
It's so easy
to put off doing what we don't want to think about. But now that
you have this information, we urge you to take action and get
your affairs in order.
|
Experts
consulted
Nelson
Blackburn, Q.C., an estats lawyer with Blackburn English,
Bedford N.S.
Rhonda Katz, family therapist, Toronto.
Anne-Marie McLauchlan, an estates lawyer with Dale and
Lessmann, Toronto.
|
Taking
Care of Children: Guardianship, is not intended to provide legal,
accounting, tax or specific investment advice. If such advice
is required, the services of a competent professional should be
sought before any action is taken. The information presented was
obtained from sources believed to be reliable; however, AIM Funds
Management Inc. cannot represent that it is accurate or complete.
Designed and paid for by AIM Funds Management Inc.
AIM
Funds Management Inc. assumes no responsibility for any losses,
whether direct, indirect, special or consequential that arise
out of the use of this information. This information is subject
to change without notice.
AIM,
AIM FUNDS and the AIM FUNDS logo are trademarks of A I M Management
Group Inc. and are used under licence by AIM Funds Management
Inc. TRIMARK, TRIMARK INVESTMENTS and the TRIMARK INVESTMENTS
logo are trademarks of AIM Funds Management Inc.
  
|
AIM
Funds Management Inc. (AIM) is one of Canada’s largest
mutual fund companies with over $34 billion * in assets under
management. A subsidiary of U.K.-based AMVESCAP PLC, one of
the world’s largest independent investment managers, AIM
employs more than 900 people in its Calgary, Montreal, Toronto
and Vancouver offices.
AMVESCAP
is dedicated to helping people worldwide build their financial
security, offering a broad array of investment solutions and
services to individuals and institutional investors in 150 countries.
Its securities trade on the London, Frankfurt, New York, Paris
and Toronto stock exchanges. AIM and its associated companies
under the AMVESCAP umbrella draw on the talents and expertise
of more than 550 investment professionals in more than 25 countries
to manage over $600 billion * in assets worldwide.
* As at December 31, 2001
|
|
