Tragedies, whether through natural disasters, serious illness, accidents or attacks can end people's lives prematurely. If you are a parent, you need to consider what the arrangements would be for your children in the event that you suffered an early death. If you are the only holder of parental responsibility you can appoint a Guardian in your will, and although this can be challenged, it is a firm starting point for those who want to make sure that their children are cared for by the most suitable adults in the event that something happened to them. Where parental responsibility is shared, you can only make a valid guardianship appointment in your will if you have an order that means the child or children live with you. If this is not the case, you can still set out your wishes and the reasons behind them in your will, but it will not have the same automatic activation, and it's more easily open to challenge. However, if for any reason you consider a surviving parent unsuitable to care for a child alone – even if they share parental responsibility with you at the moment - it can be prudent to make a record of those concerns.