We know from the first page of this story that things are not going to turn out well for the Baudelaires. Even so, though, the author gives a chance to bail out on the super sad ending right before we get to it. But hey, we've made it this far, haven't we?
To Violet, Klaus, and Sunny, it seemed that Mr. Poe and the law had made the incorrect decision to take them away from the possibility of a happy life with Justice Strauss and toward an unknown fate with some unknown relative. They didn't understand it, but like so many unfortunate events in life, just because you don't understand it doesn't mean it isn't so. The Baudelaires bunched up together against the cold night air, and kept waving out the back window. The car drove farther and farther away, until Justice Strauss was merely a speck in the darkness, and it seemed to the children that they were moving in an aberrant—the word "aberrant" here means "very, very wrong, and causing much grief"—direction. (13.75)
So even though Justice Strauss has offered the kids a home, Mr. Poe insists on taking them to live with some other relative they've never heard of. Since Mr. Poe has proven to be pretty incompetent at choosing guardians for these children, though, we don't have high hopes for the future.
Just like during The Marvelous Marriage, the adults are only concerned about following the letter of the law. Violet can be forcibly married to Count Olaf if it fulfills the requirements of the law; the children must live with a relative if that's what their parents' will says. No one stops to think what's best for Violet, Klaus, and Sunny. So, if you were wondering if all the adults in this book are totally useless this is your answer: yes. Yes, they are.