Most parents imagine emergencies as dramatic moments with sirens, flashing lights, worst-case scenarios. But real life rarely works that way. Picture a regular Tuesday. It’s 3:15 p.m. Your child is waiting in the school pickup line. Soccer practice starts at 4:30. A permission slip needs signing. When something unexpected happens ot a parent on a regular weekday, the question isn’t philosophical. It’s practical: Who can step in right now?
Q: Isn’t that what emergency contacts are for?
Emergency contacts help schools reach someone, but they do not grant legal authority. In Kansas and Missouri, when a parent becomes incapacitated, even temporarily, schools and medical providers are limited in what they can do without proper legal documentation. An emergency contact can answer the phone. But they may not be allowed to pick up your child, authorize treatment, access funds to pay school or childcare related fees, or make decisions. That’s when routine breaks down. Estate planning isn’t just about money and inheritance later ni life. For families with kids under 18, estate planning is really parenting continuity planning when life doesn’t go as planned…