You are not planning for the worst. You are making sure the people you love are never left guessing. If you have been lying awake since the news started, this is something real you can do with that worry.

This plan takes about one afternoon. Work through it with your partner, your adult children, or the person you will name as your agent. Tick each step as you go. Your progress is saved on this device, and you can come back to it any time.

Why a plan, written down

What families tell us they wish they had done

In an emergency, families lose the most time in the first days: looking for papers, figuring out who is allowed to talk to the bank, and arranging care for the children.
A trusted person without a signed document often cannot reach your accounts or speak for you, no matter how much they love you.
Children cope best when the adults around them already know the plan and their routine keeps going.
Everything in this plan can be changed later. Planning now does not lock you into anything.

Free Printable PDF

Want this plan as a printable PDF?

The whole plan is below, free to read, with nothing hidden. If you would also like the printable version to keep with your family papers, tell us where to send it and it downloads right away.

All 7 parts formatted to print, with boxes you can tick by hand
A fill-in card for your family's most important phone numbers
A copy emailed to you so it is easy to find again later

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Choose your people

Choose your agent.
This is the person who will handle your money and property if you cannot. Choose someone you trust completely, who lives nearby and can act quickly. If you can, choose someone whose own situation is stable.

Choose a backup agent.
If your first choice is traveling, sick, or simply cannot do it, the backup can step in without delay.
Choose who would care for your children.
It can be the same person as your agent or someone different. Ask them directly, and make sure they say yes.
Have the conversation.
Try: if something ever happened to me, I would want you to take care of the house and the bills, and I would want the children to stay with you. Tell them where your papers are and what matters most to you. It is hard to say out loud, and it is one of the most loving things you can do.

Sign the documents

A promise is not enough. These are the documents that give your people legal permission to act.

A durable power of attorney for finances.
It lets your agent pay bills, manage accounts, and protect your property. In California it must be signed before a notary or two qualified witnesses, and it must be notarized to be used for real estate.

A medical authorization for your children's caregiver.
It lets the adult caring for your children approve their medical care.
A Caregiver's Authorization Affidavit.
This California form lets your children's caregiver enroll them in school and, if the caregiver is a relative, consent to medical care. The caregiver fills it out, so prepare it together.
A nomination of guardian.
It tells a judge who you want to raise your children if a guardianship is ever needed.
An advance health care directive.
It names someone to make medical decisions for you if you cannot.
Give copies to your agent and your caregiver.
Keep the originals somewhere safe and tell them exactly where.

Prepare your children

Update the school's emergency contacts and pickup list.
Add your caregiver's name and phone number, and ask the school what else they need.

Talk to your children, calmly and simply.
Use words that fit their age. For a young child: if I am ever late or cannot come, your aunt will pick you up, and you will be safe. Children feel safer when they know there is a plan.
Teach older children one phone number by heart.
The caregiver's number is a good one to start with.
Write the children's information sheet.
Doctor, medications, allergies, school, activities, and the small routines that comfort them at bedtime.
Gather their documents.
Birth certificates, passports, and Social Security cards if they have them. If your children are U.S. citizens, consider getting their passports now.

Organize the money

List every account.
Bank accounts, credit cards, retirement accounts, and loans, with the name of the institution and the last four digits.

List your monthly bills and due dates.
Rent or mortgage, utilities, phone, car payment, and insurance.
Take your power of attorney to your bank now.
Ask what they need to accept it. Some banks ask for their own form, and it is much easier to sort out while you can still sign.
Ask about a trusted contact on your accounts.
Many banks let you name a person they can call if something looks wrong.
Set aside an emergency fund your agent can reach.
Enough for a few months of rent and to hire an immigration attorney quickly.
If you own a business, write down how it runs.
Who your customers, suppliers, and employees are, how payroll works, and who can keep it open.

Gather your important papers

Make a family emergency folder.
IDs, passports, consular ID, birth and marriage certificates, the children's documents, your lease or deed, car title and insurance, recent tax returns, and copies of your signed documents.

Write down your A-number if you have one.
Keep copies of your immigration papers with your agent. An immigration attorney will ask for them.
Keep a secure digital copy.
Photos or scans in a place your agent can reach if the folder is not at hand.

Memorize the numbers that matter

Phones can be taken away. A number you know by heart cannot.

Memorize your agent's and your caregiver's numbers.
Practice them until you can say them without thinking.

Choose an immigration attorney now, and keep the number.
Calling someone you already chose is faster than searching on the worst day.
Save your consulate's number.
Consulates often help their citizens who are detained.
Keep our number: (818) 788-7881.
For the home, the money, and the children.

Our family's numbers

Fill in, print, and keep by the phone

Who	Name	Phone
Agent
Backup agent
Children's caregiver
Immigration attorney
Consulate
Children's school
Children's doctor
MVP Law Group	Power of attorney and children's documents	(818) 788-7881

Protect yourself from scams

When people are frightened, scams follow.

Get immigration advice only from a licensed attorney or an accredited representative.
Check any California attorney at calbar.ca.gov. Free and low-cost providers are listed at justice.gov/eoir.

Remember that a notario is not a lawyer here.
In the United States, a notary public can witness a signature and nothing more.
Never sign a blank page or a document you do not understand.
Always keep a copy of what you sign.
Do not pay anyone who promises a guaranteed result.
Be wary of anyone asking for gift cards, wire transfers, or cash to fix a case.
Review this plan every six months.
And whenever your family, your address, or your agent changes.

Same-day documents

You do not have to do part 2 alone

We prepare emergency powers of attorney and the documents for your children the same day, email them to you, and you sign with our notary in Woodland Hills. $100 flat fee for emergency documents.

Request Same-Day Documents (818) 788-7881

This plan is general information about California law as of October 2026, not legal advice, and it does not create an attorney-client relationship. MVP Law Group is an estate planning firm and does not handle immigration cases. For questions about immigration status or an immigration case, speak with an immigration attorney. Attorney Advertising.

The Family Emergency Plan