Estate Planning | Making a Difference One Family at a Time

When a person becomes incapacitated or passes away, the illness, injury, or death can throw the lives of family members and friends into turmoil. Unfortunately, there are some members of the family whose needs are often overlooked during these troubled times: family pets. Beloved family pets count on their owners to provide for their needs, but when an owner no longer can, provisions need to be made.

In far too many tragic situations, a loyal animal companion ends up in a shelter or without proper care because no advanced plans have been made. You do not want to let this happen to the pets in your life. You need to create a plan for their future in case your future becomes uncertain. The Connecticut pet planning lawyers at Nirenstein, Horowitz & Associates P.C. can provide you with assistance in developing a pet plan. Give us a call today to learn more about your options and to get answers to questions including:

  • Why is pet planning important?
  • What should be involved in your pet plan?
  • How can a Connecticut pet planning lawyer help you?

Why is Pet Planning Important?

Dogs, cats, birds, and other pets can live long lives and need to be cared for over the course of their lives. Often, there are tragic news stories and records of pets who wait loyally for owners who never come home because of incapacity or death. When an owner is no longer able to care for their pet, the responsible choice is to make sure the pet has a good home and is cared for by someone you trust.

Without a pet plan in place, your family and friends may not be certain about who should take care of animals that are left behind. In situations when a death has occurred or when a medical emergency has led to hospitalization or a nursing home admission, pets have sometimes been left in empty homes to fend for themselves or have been taken to shelters or given away.  Sometimes, there are also financial issues regarding who will care for a pet. Family members may not be immediately able to take on the additional expenses of food and vet bills.

You can avoid an uncertain fate for your animal companions by making provisions for them as a part of your estate plan. You know your pets are there to love you for their entire lives, and you owe it to them to provide the same care and concern for their well being that they do for yours.

What Should be Involved in Your Pet Plan?

There are many different steps you can take to create a plan for the care of your pet. Your options are going to depend upon your situation and the type of steps you wish to take to ensure that your animal receives the care it deserves. Some of your options include:

  • Naming a caregiver for your pet in case of incapacity or death. You can create a last will and testament to specify what should happen to your pet after your death.
  • Creating a trust to provide for your pet’s financial needs. Your animal companion may require a special food or may enjoy certain treats that you want to make sure are purchased after you are gone. You may also want to make sure there is money available in order to respond to medical issues that may arise. Creating a trust allows you to leave money behind so your animal can be cared for in the manner you would care for them. You can name a trustee to make sure the assets you have included in the trust are managed correctly and that the money is spent on the things your animal needs.

These are just a few of the different options that you may wish to consider to ensure that you have made provisions for your animal companion so your pet is cared for even if something happens to you.

How Can a Connecticut Pet Planning Lawyer Help You?

Nirenstein, Horowitz & Associates P.C. is an estate planning firm with extensive experience in handling the issues that matter. We understand that your pets are members of the family and deserve to be provided for and guaranteed a secure future. Our Connecticut estate planning lawyers are animal lovers as well as knowledgeable legal professionals and we work hard to make sure your pet plan is comprehensive and detailed enough to protect your animals. Give us a call at (860) 548-1000 to learn more.