A Lifetime Guardians Document is a Temporary Delegation of Parental Responsibility to appoint people the parents trusts to form the support network they would want in place if they were suddenly unable to care for their minor children. Generally they are called Participants and each has a specific role, Lifetime Guardians, Trusted Persons and Witnesses.

In an emergency, Social Services need clear information about the people the parents want involved in their children’s care. Without it, Social Services and the Local Authority will decide where the children will sleep that night without any wishes, guidance or any idea who the Parent's would choose and very importantly WHY.

The stronger and clearer a support network is, the easier it is for the Social Services and the Local Authority to understand who the Parent's trust, why they chose YOU and what explain what they would want for their children.

Lifetime Guardians Documents gives them information which right now they don’t have.

No parent wants strangers making urgent decisions about their child.

Lifetime Guardians:
Are the people the Parent's want to care for, and look after, their minor children until they recover. Because Lifetime Guardians Documents are designed to cover a sudden emergency it is best to have more than one Lifetime Guardian in case one is not available or away:

• Primary Guardians: Will act first
• Secondary Guardians: Step in if the Primary Guardians are unwilling or unable to act
• Tertiary Guardians: Are an important safety net and if no other Guardian is willing or able

*Lifetime Guardians only act while the Parents are alive

Trusted Persons support the Guardians and have three important and specific tasks:

1. To help the Guardians with practical day-to-day matters and decisions concerning the children
2. Be a resource to Social Services and the Local Authority helping them understand any relevant family background and circumstances based on their personal knowledge of the family
3. Help confirm when the Parent's are well enough to resume day-to-day care of their children because you knew them before their incapacity therefore you might have valuable insights

A Witness usually is physically present during a document's signing and is there to "witness" it was the correct person signing and nothing more usually.

Witnesses in Lifetime Documents are not physically present because the signing is electronic online but they have additional tasks in this case:

1. Witnesses confirm they have spoken to the Parents before the signing to confirm they intended the Lifetime Guardians document to take effect if they became unable to care for their children.
2. If required confirm the Parent's wishes to Social Services and the Local Authority if they need to be understood or verified

1. Once you have had a look around here and are ready to accept the role please complete the short form below.

*In the email you received it will specify your exact role and in the form below it asks you to click on the correct role from a drop down box

2. After submitting the form we will draft the Lifetime Guardians Document once we have all the infomation from everyone else involved

3. Next you will receive an email with a link to sign the document electronically

4. Once everyone has signed you will receive an electronic copy to store and keep safely

5. Periodically as set by the Parent we will, if we may, contact you to check your details are still correct as it is vitally important with these documents that they reflect the correct infomation. If you need to update us it is easy with the online update form. Updates for Lifetime Documents are also free so you will just receive a document to sign electronically

*Should you be a Parent of a minor child and wish to receive information about Lifetime Guardians yourself after this Parent's document is completed as a Participant of a Lifetime Guardians Document you are able to get this done completely free for both your family and six other Parents of your choosing.