Much to the public’s shock and surprise, actor Michael Jace, best known for his role in the ‘The Shield,’ was charged with murder following the untimely death of his wife in May.

According to reports, Jace called 911 on himself after allegedly shooting his wife in front of his small children. Besides the obvious trauma that the children faced, family members are up in arms that the kids were forced to spend four painful hours in the sheriff’s office while police sorted out the situation, rather than being placed in the care of loved ones.

Following Protocol

As unfortunate and terrible as it sounds, what most parents do not realize is that if something happens to them, whether it be a car accident or a heinous crime (as in this case), without TEMPORARY GUARDIANS named the police have no choice but to take your children into custody until authorities can decide where they should be placed. As Trumbull guardianship lawyers, we see this happen all the time.

Please understand that the authorities are not taking these actions to be mean or cold. They have protocol to follow and keeping temporary custody of your kids is routinely part of the deal.

Taking Back Control

Yet as parents, we all know that the police station (or Child Protective Services) is the LAST place your children should be if something happens to you. Your kids will likely be upset, shocked, and confused, and desperate to be in the care of someone they know and trust.

Even if you have a will, it’s simply not enough to avoid this situation.

What you must do is take one extra step to legallyname temporary guardians who can take short-term custody of your kids following your death or incapacity.

Documentation of your short-term nominations must then be given to family and friends so they can act on your behalf and ensure your child(ren) never spend one second in the care of strangers if something happens to you.

Don’t Wait To Protect Your Children

Naming legal guardians is something that’s easy to do, inexpensive and can save your kids from a tremendous amount of confusion and heartbreak if the unthinkable happens. So if you haven’t done so already, talk to your Trumbull guardianship lawyer about legally naming BOTH permanent and temporary guardians for your kids. It’s worth every bit of time, effort and expense to take care of this critical task.

For more information or help getting started, please feel free to call our office at (203) 877-7511 to schedule a complimentary planning session with the mention of this article.