**Guardian** (noun) — A person or entity appointed by a court or designated in a will to have legal responsibility for the care, custody, and well-being of a minor child or legally incapacitated adult, including making decisions about their personal welfare, education, and medical care.
A guardian is someone who's legally responsible for taking care of a child or an adult who can't take care of themselves. If you're a guardian, you make decisions about where the person lives, what medical care they receive, their education, and their day-to-day welfare.
Parents are natural guardians of their own children. But when parents die or can't care for their children, someone else needs to step in. You can name a guardian for your minor children in your will, specifying who you want to raise them if you die before they're adults. If you don't name anyone, a court will decide who becomes guardian.
Guardians are also appointed for adults who can't make their own decisions due to disability, illness, or incapacity. This is different from having power of attorney—a guardian has broader authority and is typically appointed by a court, not chosen by the person themselves.
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Choosing a guardian for your children is one of the most important decisions in estate planning. You want someone who shares your values, has the capacity to care for children, and whom your children know and trust. Many people choose siblings, close friends, or other family members.
Your choice of guardian isn't automatically binding on a court, but judges generally respect parents' wishes unless there's a compelling reason not to. The person you name can decline to serve, which is why it's wise to name alternate guardians and to discuss your choice with the people you're considering.
Guardianship differs from custody and from having power of attorney. A guardian has authority over personal decisions—where someone lives, what medical treatment they receive, education choices—but typically doesn't automatically control finances. That's usually handled separately by a conservator or someone with power of attorney, though sometimes one person fills both roles.
**Related terms:** [Guardianship](/dictionary/guardianship), [Minor](/dictionary/minor), [Conservator](/dictionary/conservator), [Enduring Guardian](/dictionary/enduring-guardian)
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