New Child

Few things reorder your life like a new baby. Amid the joy and the exhaustion, a handful of decisions make sure your child is cared for and provided for, no matter what happens. And like every milestone, it’s not just the baby, it’s all the stuff attached to it. And remember, every path is unique; these are suggestions, not advice.

Make sure they’re always cared for

• The single most important decision a new parent can make: who raises your child if you can’t?
• Update or create a Will that names your child and a guardian, the person who’d raise them if you couldn’t.
• Make sure someone you trust can act for you, with a current Health Care Proxy and a Power of Attorney for financial matters, especially around the birth itself.
• Add your child to your beneficiary designations once they have a Social Security number.

Plan for their future

• Open a 529 plan to start saving for education early.
• Look at increasing your life and disability insurance now that someone depends on you.
• Consider a child rider or coverage where it makes sense.

Sort out work and money before the due date

• Talk to HR early about parental leave, short-term disability, and FMLA, these have deadlines and paperwork.
• Review how your health plan covers the birth and a new dependent, and start a small cushion for the new costs.
• If you’ll need childcare, start looking now, waitlists often run months.

Handle the post-birth paperwork

• Order the birth certificate and apply for your baby’s Social Security number, the hospital usually starts this for you.
• Add your newborn to your health insurance; most plans require it within about 30 days.
• Store the birth certificate, SSN, and your baby’s records in your Gentreo Digital Vault.
• Have pets or older kids? Line up someone you trust to care for them when labor begins, and see Getting a New Pet for protecting your pets long-term.

You won’t get to all of it before the baby arrives, and that’s okay. Name a guardian first, and Gentreo helps you handle the rest as your family grows.

More holding them. Less worrying.

Gentreo is not a law firm or a substitute for a law firm or attorney or an attorney’s advice. Gentreo provides self-help services at your specific direction.