Having a child is the most common trigger for people to think seriously about estate planning for the first time. It is also the point at which the consequences of not doing so become most serious.

1. Update or write your will

If you do not have a will, write one now. If you already have a will, review it. A will written before you had children may not name them as beneficiaries, and the rules of intestacy may not produce the outcome you want. Critically, a will allows you to formally record your wishes for guardianship. Without it, a court decides.

2. Nominate a guardian

If both parents die while a child is a minor, who raises them? You can name a guardian in your will. Your nominated guardian can decline the role, but at least your wishes are on record and give the court a clear starting point.

3. Check your life insurance

If you have life insurance, update the nomination to include your child. If you don't have life insurance, consider whether you need it — particularly if one partner is the primary earner or if you have a mortgage.

4. Check death-in-service benefit

Many employers include a death-in-service benefit — typically two to four times your annual salary. Many employees do not know this exists or what the current nomination says. Check with your HR department and update the Expression of Wishes.

5. Set up a Junior ISA

A Junior ISA allows you to save up to £9,000 per tax year for a child, with all growth and interest completely free of tax. The money is locked until the child turns 18. Even occasional lump sums benefit from decades of compound growth.

6. Record everything in one place

The above steps create a web of accounts, policies, and arrangements that your family — or your child's guardian — would need to find in an emergency. Writing it all down in a structured, accessible way is itself one of the most valuable things you can do.

Guardian's checklist: If something happened to both of you, the person caring for your child would need to know: where the will is, who the solicitor is, what financial arrangements exist, where school records are, who the child's GP is, and what the child's routine and medical needs are. Most parents have none of this written down.