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Four Young Children are Left in the Lurch After Husband Dies, Wife Goes Missing and No Legal Arrangements Are Left in Place for Children?s Care

By Janet Langjahr

Illinois Husband and Wife have four Daughters from ages four to fifteen.

Wife is not happy in the marriage. Wife files for divorce.

Husband is not served with divorce paperwork. On the contrary, Husband and Wife reportedly reconcile.

Husband and Wife attend a holiday party together on December 5th.

Husband is allegedly intoxicated.

There is snow on the ground in the area where they live.

On the way home from the party, Husband’s and Wife’s car crashes into a light pole.

Husband is killed in the accident.

There are footprints leading away from their vehicle.

And Wife is nowhere to be found.

Subsequent searches, as permitted by the local weather, have turned up no leads as to Wife’s whereabouts or fate.

An unlikely and unforeseeable tragedy.

Which leaves Husband and Wife’s four young Daughters inadequately provided for or protected.

In this instance, the Daughters’ paternal aunt and uncle have reportedly filed for guardianship of Daughters. This is not necessarily a rapid or inexpensive process.

When parents don’t plan ahead and make arrangements for such unlikely and unforeseeable tragedies, their children are at risk of being taken into child protective custody and placed in foster care by child welfare agencies.

Have you planned ahead and made arrangements to protect your children from the unlikely and unforeseeable tragedy that has stricken this family?

In Florida, a straighforward will and a simple designation of a preneed guardian for your children can generally provide the care you want your children to have in such a situation … without the need for an expensive, drawn-out guardianship proceeding or child welfare agency involvement.

Why not add these items to your New Year’s resolutions – and actually follow through and do them? For your children’s sake.

Read more in:

• this Chicago WLS-TV ABC 7 news article: Records show missing mom had filed for divorce

• this Chicago CBS 2 news article: Police Hope To Resume Search For Tanya Shannon

• this Chicago Fox News article: Search for Tanya Shannon On Hold

Full post as published by Florida Divorce - Child Custody - Domestic Abuse Law on January 01, 2011 (boomark / email).