These are people who will look after your children (if under 18 years of age) at the time of your death. A surviving parent from a marriage has certain parental rights over the guardianship of his/her children, so you do not need to name them. If you are not married to the parent of your child you are advised to state your wishes with regard to guardianship, but no advice can be given by us as to the effectiveness of your wishes. Guardians must be 18 or over. However in most cases such an appointment will not take effect until the death of the surviving parent. The role of guardian differs from the role of trustee in that whilst the trustee has the financial responsibility of managing funds held in trust, the guardian is responsible for the welfare and upbringing of the child. Liaison between the trustee and the guardian is required to plan for the child's financial future. The wills we prepare include wide powers to enable the trustees to release both capital and income to assist with maintenance, education or benefit of any child in the care of a guardian.