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New York State Husband Goes Missing, and Disabled Wife and Children Struggle Because Court Withholds Child Support

By Janet Langjahr

Husband and Wife have two children.

Wife has medical condition which prevents her from working.

Husband takes off on a fishing trip one day in April of 2006 … and appears to disappear from the face of the earth.

Wife seeks financial assistance in court.

Court repeatedly refuses to award Wife child support from Husband’s estate.

Court refuses to allow Wife Husband’s share of proceeds from sale of marital home.

Wife struggles along on food stamps and other public assistance to support her two teenaged sons without child support or a job.

Even though

1. a guardian ad litem for the boys and for Husband recommends that the Court allow support from Husband’s estate assets and
2. a family court made an award of child support prior to Husband’s disappearance.

Wife reportedly says her family is trying to live on $84 per month.

After the third anniversary of Husband’s disappearance, Wife may seek to have him officially declared dead - in the hope that her sons may collect social security benefits as a result.

Read more in this Albany [NY] Times Union article: Woman denied child support funds in missing man case.

Full post as published by Florida Divorce - Child Custody - Domestic Abuse Law on February 14, 2009 (boomark / email).