Answer: False. When choosing who should be your trusted decision makers, you should select individuals based on their strengths. In other words, you should consider what characteristics or traits each decision-making role requires and select the people who have those traits. For example, if one of your children is a doctor and another child is a certified public accountant (CPA), then it makes sense that the doctor would make medical decisions on your behalf and the CPA would make financial decisions on your behalf. It is also a common misconception that you must choose the same person to be your children’s guardian and to handle the money that you leave for your children. This is false: you can choose the person who you think will make the best and most loving guardian for your children and choose another person to handle the finances.
You may also need to consider that choosing the right person for the job could mean going with a professional. If none of your children have the organizational skills or focused temperament to handle administering your estate, or if your children are type A personalities that would second-guess every decision made by a sibling, then perhaps the best option would be to appoint a professional to act as one of your trusted decision makers. This could end up preserving your property and family relationships.
