As part of The Blum Firm’s series on Family Legacy Planning, today we’re addressing another important part of family planning—pets. The pet owners I know consider their pets to part of the family, even closer family than many of their relatives. If you’re like 2 out of 3 American homes, you have a pet. Just as with other precious assets, pet owners need to consider what happens when they are no longer able to care for their pet. Most assume their family will step in, yet more than 500,000 pets are euthanized each year because there was no plan for their care.
Every state now has laws authorizing a “Pet Trust.” Consider adding a Pet Trust to your estate plan, naming a trustee to be in charge of carrying out your wishes. The trust should be funded with sufficient assets to provide for the annual cost of pet care times your pet’s life expectancy, plus an extra sum for unexpected needs, transportation, and the final disposition of your pet. The Pet Trust ensures that the money you designate is actually used for pet care.
In case you become unable to care for your pet while you are alive, consider adding provisions to your Power of Attorney to (1) allow your agent to give your pet to the new caregiver, and (2) authorize your agent to create and fund a Pet Trust if you become unable to do so.
The Blum Firm is committed to holistic estate planning that addresses both financial needs and matters of the “heart.” We would be honored to help you provide for all your loved ones, including the furry ones.
Marvin E. Blum
It’s all in the family: Marvin Blum’s granddaughters Juliet and Stella with Marvin’s “granddog” Basil Blum.