Washington Designation of Standby Guardian is a legal document in the state of Washington that allows a parent or legal guardian to designate an individual to assume care of a minor child in the event of their incapacity or death. By using this document, the parent or guardian can be confident that their child will be taken care of in the way that they intended. There are two types of Washington Designation of Standby Guardian: the immediate standby guardianship and the future standby guardianship. The immediate standby guardianship is activated when the parent or legal guardian is unable to care for the child due to death, incapacity, or other circumstances. The immediate standby guardian assumes the duties of the parent or guardian until such time as the original parent or guardian is able to resume their duties. The future standby guardianship is activated when the parent or legal guardian is unable to care for the child due to death, incapacity or other circumstances, but only after a certain date or event has occurred. The future standby guardian assumes the duties of the parent or guardian at the specified date or event. This type of designation is useful for parents or legal guardians who want to plan for the future care of their child in the event of their incapacity or death. To create a Washington Designation of Standby Guardian, a parent or legal guardian must fill out the proper forms and have them signed and notarized. The forms must also be filed with the court in the county where the parent or legal guardian resides.