What Do I Do if I Have COVID-19 and my Ex-Spouse Cannot Care for Our Kids?

As a result of the current health crisis in the country and across the world, the Coronavirus (COVID-19) is causing everyday life to change in a variety of ways. This has led to stay-at-home orders and possible hospitalization for many people. No one is able to predict what may happen tomorrow, which is why it is important to have a plan in place in the event that the illness were to impact your family. For example, if you are a divorced parents, what would happen if you were to become ill with the virus and our former spouse cannot provide child care? There are steps that can be taken to ensure your children are looked after and cared for in the event of these circumstances.

The important thing to remember is that a plan should be in place before anything happens. This means that you should be prepared ahead of time should someone in your family contract the virus. If you become sick and your former spouse cannot care for your children, someone should be ready to take care of your children. This can be done by establishing a power of attorney to name a legal guardian to look after your children if neither parent can do so themselves. In these situations, a Limited Power of Attorney may be the best choice, as it allows another person the right to act in specific areas during a designated time period. This can include becoming a legal guardian during the Coronavirus outbreak. Without this, parents who are unable to care for their children may need a relative to go to the court to be appointed as kinship legal guardian.

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Stone Crosby, P.C. has proudly served clients in Alabama for over 100 years. Our firm has experience handling matters including divorce and family law, estate planning and administration, business law, employment law, class actions, consumer protection, business law, real estate law, among many others. If you require quality legal representation, contact our firm today to schedule a consultation.