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Creating a pet trust can be complex, but they are essential to a comprehensive estate plan for pet owners.
Working with an experienced attorney can help ensure you create a pet trust that will provide for your pet’s needs for the rest of their lives.
If you do not plan, your pet may be negatively affected once you cannot care for them anymore. Your family may not want or know how to properly care for your animals. Without detailed instructions to help them, your family may not accept the challenge. A pet trust can help avoid changing your pet’s life or routine.
A pet trust is a type of trust that essentially acts as a manual for caring for your pet. In addition to detailed instructions, you can place money aside for your trustee to pay for your pet’s care. These resources alleviate the financial burden of caring for an animal.
Your pets are family, too. So protect them like family. Contact us to discuss adding a pet trust to your estate plan.
A pet owner can create a pet trust and include it in their estate plan. A pet trust is a legal agreement between the pet owner and the person they appoint to act as a trustee.
A pet trustee’s responsibilities include:
It wasn’t until 2002 that the state of Florida allowed any type of estate planning to be available for someone’s pet.
Pet trusts help pet owners protect their fur babies by letting them leave specific instructions regarding their wishes for the care of their animals.
They are helpful because they give legal validity to your interests. The people that survive you will have a hard time going against your desires because they are in a legal document.
Pet trusts are complex, and there are some limitations. For example, pet owners may not leave their entire fortune to their pets using a pet trust. Florida courts will reduce the money allocated to care for an animal to make it more proportionate to the pet’s needs.
If you’ve decided that a pet trust is for you, now’s the time to start thinking about who you want to care for your pet.
Here are some initial steps you can take to get started:
There is no automatic guarantee your pets will be cared for after you pass away.
Your pets cannot advocate for themselves. They need your help. Pet trusts allow you to be prepared to give your pets a good quality of life once you can no longer care for them yourself.
An estate attorney with experience with pet trusts can help you lock down an air-tight plan care plan for your little loved ones.
Creating a pet trust relieves you from wondering whether your pets will have what they need to live a happy and healthy life after you pass.
Call us at (561) 955-8515 to schedule a free consultation.
At the Siegel Law Group, we help families, seniors, and their loved ones establish an plan that suits their unique needs.
The terms of a pet trust can become effective during the owner’s life. Your pet trust can help protect your pet if you cannot care for them because of illness or injury.
Trustees must use pet care funds for the pets. They are legally obligated to follow the terms of a pet trust and may face legal trouble if they use the money for another purpose.
Pet trusts are especially beneficial if your pet has medical issues. For example, your pet trusts can list names and dosages for medications, the name of your veterinarian, or details about a specific diet your pet must follow.
The pet trust terminates when the animal dies or if it covers more than one pet when the last pet dies. If money is left, you can instruct your trustee to return unused assets to your estate or donate them to charity.
Creating a pet trust will help you gain the peace of mind you deserve, knowing that your pet will be cared for throughout its life.
Contact us to learn how you can protect your furry friends for years to come.
Contact us now at (561) 955-8515 or click here to get started.
At The Siegel Law Group, our mission is to be your law firm for life… and beyond.
We help with estate planning, elder law, and probate & trust administration.
Serving clients in Boca Raton, Deerfield Beach, West Palm Beach and throughout the Tri-County Area of Palm Beach County, Broward County, Miami-Dade County, and throughout South Florida.
Delray Beach, Florida, Jupiter, Palm Beach County, Palm Beach Gardens, Wellington.
We’d be honored to help you.
Disclaimer: The information you obtain at this site is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should consult an attorney for advice regarding your individual situation.
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