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For many people, pets are more than just animals \u2014 they\u2019re cherished members of the family. Yet, when it comes to estate planning, their future care can be overlooked.<\/p>\n
Including your pets in your estate plan ensures they\u2019ll continue to receive love and care if something happens to you. Unless you arrange for their care and support after your death, they\u2019ll go to the residuary beneficiary in your will. If you don\u2019t have a will, they\u2019ll be transferred according to the laws of intestate succession, which are unique to each state.<\/p>\n
Formally appoint a caregiver<\/strong><\/p>\n Start by identifying a trusted family member or friend who\u2019s willing and able to take responsibility for your pets. You can formalize this by naming the person as the caregiver in your will.<\/p>\n Although you can\u2019t use your will to leave money or other property to your pets, you can provide funds to their caregiver to cover expenses. But keep in mind that the caregiver has no legal obligation to use the money for your pets, so choose cautiously.<\/p>\n It\u2019s wise to name a backup caregiver, just in case. Also, be sure to let your executor know about your plans. If you don\u2019t have a trusted caregiver in mind, another option is to leave your pets to an animal sanctuary or rescue organization with a program designed for this purpose.<\/p>\n Draft a pet trust<\/strong><\/p>\n You might also consider establishing a pet trust. It\u2019s legal in all 50 states plus Washington, D.C. These trusts come at a cost, but they offer several advantages over other arrangements.<\/p>\n For example, a pet trust allows you to leave money that the named caregiver is required to use for your pets, to provide specific instructions on how your pets should be cared for, and to provide for the care of your pets during your life in the event you\u2019re unable to do so. Plus, if necessary, your representative can go to court to enforce the terms of the trust.<\/p>\n Turn to us for help<\/strong><\/p>\n Ultimately, including your pet in your estate plan gives you peace of mind and ensures that your beloved companion won\u2019t be left to chance. Your estate planning attorney can help you incorporate these provisions into your estate plan in a way that aligns with your overall goals.<\/p>\n \u00a9 2025<\/em><\/p>\n <\/body> For many people, pets are more than just animals \u2014 they\u2019re cherished members of the family. Yet, when it comes to estate planning, their future care can be overlooked. Including your pets in your estate plan ensures they\u2019ll continue to receive love and care if something happens to you. Unless you arrange for their care […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,9,10],"tags":[8,11,12],"class_list":["post-17257","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-articles","category-estates","category-news","tag-articles","tag-news","tag-updates"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sfw.cpa\/news-and-guides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17257","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sfw.cpa\/news-and-guides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sfw.cpa\/news-and-guides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sfw.cpa\/news-and-guides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sfw.cpa\/news-and-guides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17257"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.sfw.cpa\/news-and-guides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17257\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17258,"href":"https:\/\/www.sfw.cpa\/news-and-guides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17257\/revisions\/17258"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sfw.cpa\/news-and-guides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17257"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sfw.cpa\/news-and-guides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17257"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sfw.cpa\/news-and-guides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17257"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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